


Immolation

by Dellessa



Series: Night Cycle Verse [7]
Category: Transformers Generation One
Genre: Alternate Universe - Vampire, Bondage, Dubious Consent, Incest, Kidnapping, M/M, Sticky Sex, Torture
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-31
Updated: 2013-08-31
Packaged: 2017-12-25 04:28:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 6
Words: 36,886
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/948628
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dellessa/pseuds/Dellessa
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Life in the gladiatorial rings was hard, Red Alert would come to find that it would only get harder and far more complicated than he could ever imagine.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. It Started with a Lie...

**Author's Note:**

> Art:  
> By Spectrumpheonix: [Here](http://spectrumpheonix.livejournal.com/65293.html)  
> By Myself: [Art by dellessa.](http://fc02.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2013/238/0/9/untitled_by_dellessanna-d6jvwgl.jpg)  
> I plan to illustrate each chapter, but it is slow going. ^^

**Title:** Immolation  
 **Verse:** Transformers: G1ish AU  
 **Series:** Night Cycle  
 **Rating:** M  
 **Warnings/Content:** Mentions of Under age. Child Abuse, neglect, and Endangerment. Violence. Dubious consent. Slavery. Vampires. Non-con/Non-con reference. Incest. Torture (Painplay, Bondage in a non-conscenting manner). Kidnapping.  
 **Pairings/Characters:** Sunstreaker/Sideswipe. Inferno/Red Alert.  
 **Notes:** Not mine!!!,  
 **Prompt:** Sci-Fi Big Bang.  
 **Words:** 36,676

_Part One:_

Vortex stared at his two fledglings. Had he known it would make a mech such a vicious fighter he would have turned hundreds more, and long before this. Unfortunately it also made them far less tractable. Had it been for his own pleasure and not for the business he ran with Swindle, he would have been all about it. He liked vicious. Especially in the berth. If he had his way they would be there now, chained, instead of glaring at him through energon bars.

“Swindle said his spark gave out. Too bad for you, I think we kept him long enough and coddled you both. I’m not having any more of it.” He took a step back as the golden twin lunged at the energon bars, his optics wild with loathing. In truth his brother had simply tired of having the glitched little mech around, always under ped. If he had his way he would have made the twins feed on the little mech. Drain him dry. He could imagine their pain. It would have been exquisite.

Instead, Swindle had been intent on recouping some of the credits it had taken to support the nuisance in the time that that had kept him. His brother was, in short, the biggest spoil sport ever.

“You lie,” the red twin growled. “You hurt my brother, and I **WILL** offline you.”

“Can’t hurt an offline bot,” Vortex grinned, loving the way pain positively burned through the gold mech. It made him want to reach out and grab the gold mech, to show him what real pain was. It was more than a little tempting. “He’s already in the scrap heap, heading for the smelter.”

Sunscreaker roared lunging at the bars again, clawing at Vortex, ripping into his armour and leaving great furls that welled up with energon one moment before sealing, the old vampire laughed, grabbing his errant fledgling by the neck. He released the energon bars, getting a better hold of the gold twin. He opticed the red. “Come any closer and I will rip out his throat. I can’t imagine that you want to lose two brothers in one day.”

He was not prepared for the way the gold mech twisted in his hand, using his body weight to his advantage, going to the face. Sunstreaker’s claws dug into the facemask, ripping.

Vortex howled in pain, dropping Sunstreaker. The twins wasted little time. They were out of the room and running before Vortex had even picked himself off of the floor, still dripping energon. He glared at the doorway that the twins had fled through, knowing that there was no way in the pit he would catch them. Unfortunately he had taught them all too well.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

Red Alert cowered in the cage they had placed him in. He had heard the big mechs talking and knew what they were going to do to him if he didn’t escape, take him apart one piece at a time while he was still alive. His spark thumped in terror inside of his chest, but he tried to calm himself, knowing to glitch now meant certain death. He pulled the lock-pick out of his subspace. Sideswipe had given it to him when he was much smaller, and told him to always carry it in case something like this ever happened. Luckily the cages were cheap, with equally cheap mechanical locks. It was easy enough to pick it, and slide off the shelf it sat on and onto the floor below.

He stowed away the lock-pick, and found the closest energon dispenser, grabbing as many cubes as he could fit into his subspace before tip-pedding to the doorway. He was nearly out the door when the bigger of the two mechs that seemed to run the salvage yard spotted him. Red Alert’s pale blue optics widened, and he ran, ran like he had never run before into the nightcycle darkened streets. He ran through the fog until finally the sounds of pursuit fell away, and still he ran until he could not any longer. He finally found a niche in an alley behind a rubbish pile. He pushed himself into the indentation, curling up as small as he could disappearing into the shadows of the rubbish heap, and finally the glitch overwhelmed him, the world grew small, then the world grew black. It was a relief when he was finally pushed into recharge.

He did not know how long he was in recharge, he had never had a chromometer installed, no one had ever thought it necessary. The sounds of younglings yelling and squealing was loud and close. He finally crawled out and watched them, digging through the rubbish heap for Primus knew what. He watched them, optics wide and scared, afraid to get any closer.

One spotted him, “Scrap, who’re you?”

“Get outta here,” another said angrily, picking up a steel bar and brandishing it in a threatening manner, only to have it snatched away by another youngling.

“Stop it, can’t you see he’s scared?” A red sparkling glared at the other two. He dropped the bar, and moved close. “I’m Inferno. Who’re you?”

Red Alert backed up, frowning. It would have been easier to run, but he had nowhere to run to. “Red Alert. You can call me Red, I guess.” His lip quivered, “Do you stay here?”

“We live in one of the abandoned warehouses. Don’t you have a home?” Inferno asked, moving closer. 

Red Alert shook his head and could not hold it back any longer, optical lubricant tricked down the panes of his cheeks. “My brothers were killed in the arena...and...and they didn’t have any use for me any more so they sold me to a scrapper.”

Inferno’s optics widened, he leaned in and hugged the smaller mechling. “You can stay with me then. I promise. It’s not so bad.” He grabbed Red Alert’s hand and pulled him towards the alley entrance. “No one to boss us around. We can do whatever we want.” 

Red Alert found himself nodding in agreement, just glad he was not alone any longer.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

They did not wander about the city aimlessly when they finally fled. They had been in contact for some time with a mech that promised to help them, if they could manage to break free. They had never had the opportunity until that night cycle, not if it meant leaving Red. Sideswipe tried not to think of their little brother, it made his spark race and clench painfully in turn. The estate was on the other end of Praxus, quite a journey even at the speeds they were going.

They sped through the night, going to the coordinates that the red mech had given them, half scared that they were walking into another kind for trap. Unfortunately they had little choice and nowhere else to go, at least nowhere safe from their sire. An older vampire could at least protect them. They knew this intrinsically.

They were both running low on fuel by the time they reached their destination, staggering as they pinged the gate and were finally allowed into the compound. They were greeted by a blue racer, he was sleek and well cared for in all the ways the twins were not. Sideswipe could not help but envy the other fledgeling.

“Oh, scrap, c’mon, let’s go get you fueled, Percy is on his way back. He was working in his lab. He’s very busy, but you will know that soon I guess. I’m Blurr by the way.” The blue racer said so fast Sideswipe was barely able to keep up.

They found themselves pulled along through the manor, the blue mech chattering the whole way. Sunstreaker craned his head, looking around at the manor’s appointments. He had never in his life seen such luxury. He at least have never dreamed about what the other side lived like. It had always seemed a foolish thing to do.  
Blurr finally led them into a sitting area. They sat down on meshes nicer than anything Sunstreaker had ever seen in his short life and waited, for what Sunstreaker was not sure until two mechs walked in, both smiling faintly, a dazed look in their optics.

“What are....” Sunstreaker stood, frowning.

“They are for you to feed on, just don’t...offline them. It would make Percy tetchy. He doesn’t like messes, and he’s a bit fond of Cosmos and Seaspray. So, yeah,” Blurr shrugged, nudging the round little bot towards Sideswipe.

Clarity, and, perhaps, a bit of fear flashed through the minibot’s optics as the large red mech pulled him close, making him squeal in fear, and struggle for a moment. It only lasted as long as it took Sideswipe to find an energon line and latch on. Sunstreaker watched them in half morbid fascination. The small mech sighed blissfully once the feeding started, mewling as he pressed against Sideswipe.

Sunstreaker looked away, rolling his optics. The last thing in the world he wanted to see at the moment was his brother feeling up the little mech---definitely not Sunstreaker’s type---or the noises they were both making. It was all he could do not to hit the red mech up side the helmet.

Lust rippled through the bond, making Sunstreaker slam it shut on his side, but not before he let his disgust known. Their brother had just died. He would have thought that Sideswipe would at least respect that, but he should have known better. Sideswipe never reacted appropriately to anything.

“That...is pretty hot,” Blurr said, not even bothering to hide his starring.

“I don’t see how,” Sunstreaker said, unable to keep himself from snapping as he grabbed the other mini, pulling him to the nearest seating arrangement.

He bit into the energon line in the little mech’s wrist plating, finding little pleasure in the act, and less still as the cries across the room rose to a crescendo. He was going to strangle his twin the second he got him alone.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

Red Alert curled closer to the warm plating pressed against his back. He felt lucky. Inferno looked after him, kept them both fueled when Red’s stash had finally run out. He missed his brothers something horrible, but he was glad not to be alone.

He pulled the old mesh Inferno had stolen closer to them, sighing as it raised the heat incrementally. It was a comfort in a life with far too few. He tried to drift back into recharge, but it just would not come. His system stuttered, and a little hiccuping sob left the sparkling’s vocalizer.

“What’s wrong, Red?” Inferno’s voice whispered through the dark, hugging him a little bit more tightly. 

“I miss ‘em,” he finally whimpered, turning so he could hide his face against Inferno’s plating.

Inferno hummed, a sound like a purr, Red Alert found it comforting despite himself, and relaxed against the larger younging. “I know. But...maybe...maybe they’re in a better place.” He ex-vented softly, “And one day you’ll see them again in the Well.” The youngling frowned, “That was what my creator always said anyway. I miss him too, but one day I’ll see him again. I know I will.”

“I don’t wanna to go to the Well,” Red Alert whimpered, “What if they aren’t there.” 

“I’m sure they are,” Inferno said, petting Red Alert’s back in a comforting motion. “It’ll work out, I promise. I’ll take care of you.”

“I know you will,” Red Alert murmured, his voice muffled. Inferno had done a good job of it so far, keeping them away from the enforcers, keeping them fueled. He had found a safe, warm place for them to hide during the night cycles. Their hidey hole was safe, and snug. It was far too small for an adult bot to squeeze into. Inferno had even stolen him a little energon blade, ‘just in case’ the bigger youngling had said. Either way it was far safer than he had been when he was forced to stay with Swindle. “I’m sorry. I---”

“Aw, Red. It’s fine. I know what it’s like. Besides, I’m glad we found each other,” Inferno’s smile was plain in his tone.

Red Alert couldn’t help but smile despite the coolant tears still trickling down his cheekplates. “I’m glad too.” 

Inferno vented softly, “It’ll all be better when we’re grown. I know. We’ll bond and I’ll keep ya safe. We’ll have a home, and you’ll be my housemech.”

Red Alert giggled, wiping at his cheekplates. “Promise?” 

“O’course,” Inferno said, “And we’ll have a lot of sparklings. Maybe we could take in younglings like us, so they have a safe place to stay.” 

“It’ll be wonderful,” Red Alert murmured, relaxing enough to finally slip back into recharge.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

Perceptor watched his two newest charges with interest. They were both fascinating specimens. Split-spark twins were rare enough, but two of his own kind, were unheard of. Sadly, Perceptor knew some of the more superstitious groups believed that twins were a curse. They brought the worse kind of luck. Perceptor knew better. He didn’t believe in any of that foolishness. No, he had complete faith in science, and was doubly pleased he would be able to study these two.

The red twin seemed to be fitting in quite well into their little family group, even now he was curled around Cosmos reading through one of the datapads the tutors had given him. Perceptor had analyzed the information given to him by the tutors about the twins progress and was satisfied for the most part. Sideswipe picked up things at a decent enough pace, when one could hold his attention.

Sunstreaker, on the other servo, was distracted at best. He had sent them both to see Rung, but the psychiatrist had not had much luck getting through to Sunstreaker. He had suggested art therapy, and at this point Perceptor was willing to try even questionable medicine. The anguish in the young bots’ fields stripped them all bare. He understood that they both needed to mourn their lost brother. He would never deny them that, or much of anything else, not after seeing how much Blurr had taken to the two.

He watched his mate bring in the box that contained the art supplies and tutorial datapads, and pushed it over to the golden twin, who finally took it reluctantly.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

The box sat where Sunstreaker left it for nearly four orn, before in a flurry the golden twin went through all of the datapads, picking up the paint he began painting...

...and was still painting an orn later.

Perceptor could not help but worry over the young bot’s health. He knew he had not fed in that time. He fed little enough as it was. So little, in fact, that the science mech was concerned that the youngling would lose control and accidentally kill one of the mechs he was feeding off of.

He looked at the painting, unsurprised that it was the little red mech that popped up in both of the twin’s memories more often than not. It was...surprisingly good, which made him pleased with his decision to take Rung’s advice. Sunstreaker clearly had a talent that should be cultivated.

“Sunstreaker?” Perceptor said, putting a hand on the golden twin’s shoulder, feeling the mech tense, and relax as he realised who it was.

“Did you need something, Perceptor? I was---am busy.”

“I can see,” the sciencemech smiled, “I also know that your systems are running sluggishly, and that you need to feed soon.”

Sunstreaker shook. He hated it. Hated what that monster had made them. “I don’t want to.” 

“But you need to,” Perceptor cooed, slicing into a line in his own neck before Sunstreaker knew what he was about.

Sunstreaker trembled and watched the mechblood dribble down Perceptor’s neck cording, pooling along his collar. Finally he could take it no more and lunged. Perceptor sighed, hugging the fledgling to him. He stroked Sunstreaker’s back strut.

He pressed into the fledgling’s mind, a feather light touch at first before dipping in deeper. Sunstreaker’s processor was a jumble with thoughts of Red Alert, and Vortex. Perceptor was dragged down into the memories, despite himself.

_Sunstreaker struggled in Vortex’s hold as he was dragged across the room. It was odd for Perceptor to see the memory through the golden mech’s eyes and watch Sideswipe be dragged in as well, both thrown into a large cage. They huddled together, hugging each other until a small red mechling was brought in crying. Both of the larger bots rose to their peds, screaming at Vortex. The rotor only laughed as he put the mechling in a cage that was in sight, but far too far away for them to give their brother any comfort._

_“Keep yelling and I’ll throw him to one of the other fledglings. He wouldn’t make much of a meal,” the rotormech smiled meanly, “but it would drain him dry.”_

The memory shifted to one where all three brothers were in a huddle in the big cage. It was rare enough for Vortex to allow this, Perceptor could feel that. The strength of Sunstreaker’s emotions nearly bowled him over.

 _The mechlings clung to each other, holding tightly onto Red Alert. The youngling buried his face against Sunstreaker’s neck cording. Sunstreaker knew that the mechling hated living with Swindle. The mech kept threatening to sell him to a brothel. An underground one where mechs with a taste for sparklings went. The thought sent a cold chill through Sunstreaker’s spark. He wanted to protect his brothers more than anything else in this world, but circumstances made it impossible. It sent Sunstreaker’s spark raging. There was nothing he could do about it though, so he bottled up the emotion and did his best to soothe Red Alert and Sideswipe._

The memory shifted again, to Vortex smirking outside of the twin’s cage, smirking and telling the twins that Red Alert was offline. It was a memory Perceptor had seen before, on more than one occasion. Sunstreaker dwelled over it. Replaying it over and over in his processor. Perceptor pushed it away, sending all the love he felt for the younger mech through the telepathic merge with the fledgeling. Sunstreaker crumbled under the onslaught, clinging to him, a whimper escaping his vocal processor.

He let his field smooth out, enveloping the young mech and giving him what comfort that he could. He looked up, catching a streak of blue, and stopped as he realized Blurr was hovering in the doorway, watching them. He motioned once for his mate to join them, it was all the incentive Blurr needed to cross the room, and nestle against the young mech’s back struts. One hand met Perceptor’s and their digits intertwined. Blurr’s field reached out, enveloping them both in comfort and love.

It made Perceptor smile faintly. Blurr was overflowing with both, one of the things he adored about the blue mech.

Perceptor had faith that they would find someway to fix this.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

Red Alert and Inferno ran through the street, ducking in alleyways, and through abandoned buildings. Inferno knew that eventually the mech chasing them would would tire of the chase, they just had to keep moving until then. The youngling heaved a sigh of relief, glad he had been able to nick enough fuel at the beginning of the day cycle for both of them. Otherwise they would have already been caught and dragged to the enforcers. The thought sent his little spark quivering in his chestplates. He had heard stories of what happened to other foundlings that were sent to the enforcers. None of them were ever seen online again.

There were rumours that the enforcers sold those sparklings to brothels, scrappers, or even the illegal arenas. Whatever place was paying the most credits at that moment. The thought of Red being sent to any of those places left the fuel in Inferno’s lines running cold.

The sound of pursuit finally fell away, Inferno pulled Red into an alcove where they held on to each other panting, and tried to remain as quiet as possible. From their hiding place they saw the feet of several enforcers pass them by, but no one stopped. Still, Red Alert’s temperature rose, his sensor horns sparked and his mouth opened in a soundless scream. Inferno watched, optics wide and full of panic as he realized there was nothing that he could do. He held on to Red Alert as the seizure passed through the small bot’s body and finally he lay quietly against Inferno.

Inferno held him for an orn, and prayed to whatever god would listen to let his friend wake up again. He whimpered quietly, not knowing what to do, or even if there was anything he could do. 

Finally Red Alert stirred in his arms, and whimpered. “‘Ferno?” he said, his voice full of static.

“I’m here, Red. Oh, dear Primus. I thought you were lost ta me,” Inferno whimpered, holding Red Alert tightly against him. 

Red Alert curled closer. “No,” he spat static. “Not lost. It just happens. ‘S’why I was sold t-to the s-s-scrapper. Not right. Damaged.”

Inferno whimpered, not understanding how anybot could blame a little sparklet like Red Alert for something that was’t his fault. He couldn't help his coding. “You’re too. You’re wonderful, and I-I love ya, Red. Don’t leave me. Please.” 

“I love you too, ‘ferno,” the youngling whimpered, wishing they were safe in the little hiding spot. He wished they were home. “Never wanna leave you. Ever.”

OoOoOoOoOoOo

Sideswipe frowned as he blocked his side of the twin bond. It seemed like he was doing that more and more often. He simply could not take Sunstreaker’s emotionality, or the rage and blame he always seemed to throw Sideswipe’s way.

Sideswipe knew that Sunstreaker missed Red Alert, he missed their brother too. Sunstreaker acted as though he was the only one to love Red and care about him. It hurt, badly. Not that his twin seemed to care.

“Are you okay, Sides?” the minibot shuttle asked, as he walked up and sit down next to the red mech.  
Sideswipe’s lips twitched up, and finally he smiled at the look of concern on Cosmos’ face. “I’m fine, really.”

Cosmos made a little sound of disbelief and climbed up onto the seat, curling up against Sideswipe. “Sides.”

Sideswipe pulled the small mech close, reveling in the warmth of his plating. He was always cold. So cold except when he had just fed. Perceptor said it was normal when he had asked, worried that something was wrong with him. It was just one more thing he could hate the rotary mech for.

Not that he had a short list of reasons to hate their sire. No, the mech that turned them had never given a reason for them to love or care for him, and the way he had treated Red. Well, Sideswipe HOPED that the little mech was indeed dead because the alternative. He shuddered at the thought. He knew more than one of the brothels that dealt in sparklings had asked to buy him. Sideswipe had also known that Vortex had drunk from Red. One time he had only stopped because of a comm call. Otherwise he would have drained the little mech dry. He kept that knowledge tucked away, not wanting Sunstreaker to realize how truly bad things were. The yellow twin took far too much of the burden on himself. He worried for Red as a creator might, not a sibling, and it was something that Sideswipe could understand, as sad as it made him feel.

“I am fine,” Sideswipe said more firmly, cuddling Cosmos. “You make things better,” he nuzzled the little mech catching his lips and pressing him down into the softmesh. He liked the way the minibot always submitted, offering himself up. If anything it made Sideswipe want to take him hard right there in the common room. 

He felt Sunstreaker’s annoyance flare up even through the blocked bond. He was not entirely sure why his brother detested Cosmos so. The little mech had never done anything to Sunstreaker. Far from it, he had been nothing but kind.

“I do?” Cosmos purred, pressing his round, little frame against Sideswipe’s.

Sideswipe chuckled, “Very much so.”

 

“Maybe you should show me how much,” the minibot purred coyly, lips curling into a mischievous grin which was mirrored on Sideswipe’s own facial plates.

He leaned in to kiss Cosmos again, only to be startled away by the yell of rage from the doorway.

“How dare you,” Sunstreaker howled, “You whore yourself out when Red probably lies dead in some scrap heap. How dare you.” Sunstreaker roared, charging the pair, his optics bright with madness.

Sideswipe gasped, pushing Cosmos out of the way as his brother fell on him, tearing at plating. Sunstreaker grabbed whatever he could, ripping and tearing leaving them both covered in energon.  
Cosmos watched, frozen for one moment before he ran away, calling out for Perceptor as he went.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

Perceptor and Blurr hurried into the room, a herd of minis following close behind. “What is the meaning of this?” Perceptor yelled, wading in, and coming between the two. His normal calm demeanor completely shattered, as he picked up Sunstreaker by the collar, hefting him as if he weighed no more than the smallest of sparlings. “What are you doing?”

Sunstreaker keened, insensate. “Let me go. Let me go. He deserves what he gets.” He wiggled in Perceptor’s grasp, clawing at the elder vampire’s wrist.

“No. You will not act like---a savage in my house,” he shook Sunstreaker pulling him close. “YOU will not hurt any mech under my protection. Do you understand me?”

Sunstreaker whimpered, “Yes.” A little sob escaped from him. “He never loved our brother.”

Perceptor sighed, loosening his grip and pulling the golden mech into his arms. “Sunstreaker, that isn’t true. He hurts just as much as you do.” He vented, hugging the young vampire tightly. “You cannot behave this way. You could have hurt Cosmos. You could have killed him, or your brother. You need to learn control, and as much as it pains me you will need to be sent away.”

Sunstreaker made an inarticulate sound, grasping at Perceptor. “No, please. I will be good. I promise I will be good. Don’t send me back to the arena. Please, No.” 

Perceptor petted the gold mech’s plating. “I would never do that. You two have become like my own mechlings. You must understand that, but...I cannot let you hurt others. I have a...friend who would help you, perhaps. Aid you in realizing your talent.” 

“Please don’t make me leave,” He said, shaking and clinging tightly to Perceptor. “Please don’t do this. Please,” The normally quiet, golden mech cried, still on the edge of hysteria.

Perceptor frowned, and watched Blurr comfort Sideswipe, patching up some of the damage his brother did. The mechling would need medical treatment. His processor touched the red mechling’s, picking through his feelings, and easily getting past the things that he had hidden from his brother.

“Sunstreaker,” Perceptor unravelled the block and revealed all that Sideswipe had been hiding in a single stroke.

Sunstreaker’s back strut boughed, and he screamed, “No, no. You can’t think such things. Why would you not have told me?” He screamed at Sideswipe, thrashing in Perceptor’s hold.

Sideswipe stirred in Blurr’s arms. “You already hurt too much. I could not bear more. I was trying to protect you.”

Sunstreaker whimpered, hiding his face against Perceptor’s armor.

“Oh, Sideswipe,” Perceptor heard Blurr murmur, “The road to the Pit is paved with good intentions. Did anyone tell you that?” 

Perceptor didn’t wait to hear the answer. He picked Sunstreaker up and carried him away towards his room, and knew he would need to call Wing once he had settled the mechling down.


	2. Life on the Streets

_Part Two:_

Red Alert followed Inferno gingerly through the scrap yard. It had been a good haul that day. They already had a couple sols worth of energon tucked away in their subspaces. Nicking them had been easy. They were not always so lucky. Sometimes they went sols without finding an easy mark.

Red Alert had grown used to his tank rumbling. Used to the emptiness and the pain that went along with it.

They gave the other sparklings and streetmechs wide berth when they could. They had too many close calls where those mechs tried to take what little they had, but somehow they always made it through in one piece.

They were in one of the streetgang’s territories, so they were quieter than usual, both of them keeping watch as they sorted through the junk piles for anything useful. This gang had tried to jump them more than once already, following them back to one of their safe places.

Red Alert knew the large mechs would have offlined them in their recharge had they not slipped away at the last moment.

It was tiring. All of it was tiring. But he carried on because there was nothing else that he could do.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

Sunstreaker looked at his appearance in the mirror, carefully wiping off the plating until the last traces of dust were gone leaving nothing but a mirror shine behind. Wing was a harsh taskmaster when it came to his appearance. The time that he had spent with the noble had been...hard. At least on his processor. Wing was volatile at times, but Sunstreaker had learned much from the artist. He could never imagine dedicating his life the way Wing did to his art. It was not...what Sunstreaker wanted with his life. He wanted to create, in the vorn that he had spent with Wing that at least had become more and more clear. He did not, on the other servo, want to be the embodiment of it as Wing was. The endless rounds of energon ceremonies, and worse still the clothing. His plating prickled at the thought. Only whores wore such things.

The thought made him glower. Wing was not a whore, but he was...other, and even after all of this time here was not entirely...comfortable with it.

“Sunstreaker. I asked you a question,” Wing said impatiently behind him, microfiber cloth in hand.

“I’m sorry, what?” Sunstreaker asked, wincing inside. He knew Wing hated repeating himself.

“I said, are you sure you are ready? Your brother and Perceptor are heading over. There...will be a lot of mechs. Are you sure---” Wing asked, nothing but concern in his tone.

“It will be fine,” Sunstreaker said firmly. “It has to be. I can’t---I can’t hide here forever. And...you know I miss Sideswipe,” he vented deeply trying to center himself. “I miss Percy, and Blurr. It's been too long since they came for a visit.”

“Mmmm...I know. But you were not ready. Even now you are not,” Wing said, winglets fluttering.

Sunstreaker snorted, turning. “I am tired of being mistaken for an Artisan. Do not think I am not grateful for all you have done for me, but the next mech that asks about my seals and when the auction will be---” he glowered making it clear exactly what he thought of that.

Wing only laughed. “You cannot blame them, you are beautiful. You would do well---” 

“No. Stop right there, Wing. I am not having this conversation with you again,” the golden mech nearly buzzed with annoyance. “I don’t care how many mechs ask about me. I’m not going to do that. Ever.”

“Perceptor would wholly approve if you did,” Wing wheedled.

“Sideswipe would not though, and I would not be able to respect myself. I am not strong like you are. Not that way. It reminds me too much of---of before Perceptor found us,” Sunstreaker said, looking down. After all the time they had spent together it was still hard for Sunstreaker to force the words out of his vocalizer, “I’m sorry. It just...I just can’t help but think about Red Alert. And---And Vortex. I won’t be owned by anyone again. I won’t.”

“You know, I understand,” Wing finally said, his voice quiet.

“I don’t think you do. I---there are things I haven’t told you. I---my brother might - might have ended up in one of the underground brothels. There--- there were mechs asking about him. He-he was still in his sparkling frame, not even a youngling yet,” Sunstreaker shook. “I just can’t.”

It was never something that Wing had been able to get Sunstreaker to open up about. Not truly. The fact that he was beginning to open up now, of all times. “Perhaps we should talk later, love?” He reached up and touched Sunstreaker’s cheek plates. “Now...”

“Is a bad time. I know,” Sunstreaker looked away.

“It is. But...we can talk after the show, I promise,” Wing added, opticing his charge. He stopped, looked past Sunstreaker to the mechs entering through the door. A smile spread across his faceplates. “Perceptor. We weren’t expecting you so soon.”

“Wing, Sunstreaker, it has been too long,” he said, moving forward and pulling Sunstreaker into an embrace. “Your brother has missed you.”

“I bet,” Sunstreaker vented, not quite believing it.

“He will be here before the show starts. He promised. He has been...surprisingly diligent with his apprenticeship,” Perceptor said, his lip-plates curving up into a smile. “He seems to get on well with Smokescreen in any case,” Perceptor shrugged.

Sunstreaker nodded, and frowned. He knew that name. “He is one of the---High Lord’s brothers, right?” He had at least learned some useful things from Wing other than how to look pretty.

“The youngest,” Perceptor offered. “I was hoping Barricade would have been able to take him under his wing, but that just did not happen.” He had been hoping to make a match of it, cement the twin’s position in the hierarchy of the city, but that had not happened either. While Smokescreen and Sideswipe did seem to get on they would never be more than friends. Smokescreen already had his optic on a youngling, it seemed. That had been news to Perceptor. Unwelcome news, surely, but not entirely unsurprising.

No one else had been able to forge an alliance with the brothers themselves, although there was still the possibility of bonding with one of their descendents. He was not sure if either of the twins would agree to such a thing.

Perceptor pushed a smile onto his face. He only wanted the best for them, they were most likely the closest thing to younglings he or Blurr would ever truly have. “Show me your work.”

A genuine smile curled onto Sunstreaker’s face, “I would love to.” He lead Perceptor out into the gallery proper.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

Sideswipe still did not know what to make of Smokescreen. The mech was hard to peg down, flitting away and giving no explanation for his absences. Sideswipe had followed him once, and was completely unsurprised to see the mech lead him into the alpha district.

He was floored, however, when he discovered who his mentor was meeting. A mechling. He was hard pressed to hide his disgust. Mechs like that could have his brother. He hoped not.

He really hoped.

But he couldn’t help but worry. 

“You’ve been quiet all sol,” Smokescreen said, snapping Sideswipe out of his thoughts.

Sideswipe vented hard, he wasn’t Sunstreaker, he wasn’t good at bottling up these things. “How can you do it?”

“Do what?” Smokescreen ask, looking puzzled.

“I followed you. I know where you go. How could you do that? He’s just a youngling,” Sideswipe said, his voice rising.

Smokescreen blinked at him, venting hard. “You followed me? Why would you follow me?” 

Sideswipe’s armor puffed up, “How could you do that with a youngling? What kind of monster are you?”

Smokescreen rumbled, a look between disgust and hurt warring on his faceplates, “It’s not like that. I would never...”

“Looks like you already are. He is practically a bitlet,” Sideswipe snapped.

Smokescreen growled, and had the bigger mech pinned to the floor before Sideswipe even knew what was happening. “You don’t understand. his creators are the monsters. They want to sell him off to the highest bidder. I will protect him if I can. Because I care very much for him.”

“Then you haven’t...” Sideswipe gave him a doubtful look.

“Primus, No. It’s not like that,” Smokescreen said, shaking his helm. “How can you even think that?”

“What else was I to think?” Sideswipe shrugged looking away. “You were skulking about. For all I knew you could have been sneaking in their to drain the poor thing dry.” 

Smokescreen shook his helm, “Never. You don’t understand. He is a good spark. He’s sweet and generous.” Smokescreen frowned, “His creators are horrible, they want to sell him off to the highest bidder, more or less. I...don’t want to sit back and let them destroy him.”

Sideswipe ducked his helm, he had been there. He knew that grief.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

Sunstreaker watched the teenbot walk through the gallery, his attention intent. He could not help but look the mechling up and down, attention settling on the mechling’s doorwings. His engined revved, and Sideswipe threw him an amused look.

“I bet he is fun in the berth, all fluttering doorwings,” Sideswipe smirked.

“I’m sure,” Sunstreaker purred, walking away from his brother and approaching the little grey mech.

“So, you like it?” Sunstreaker asked, coming up behind the mechlet.

He smiled as the grey Praxian startled like a cybergazelle, armour quivering before it clamped tightly to his protoform.

“Oh, oh I do,” the youngling said. “Oh...you’re Sunstreaker aren’t you?”

A mischievous grin spread across Sunstreaker’s faceplates. “I am, and who are you pretty bot?”

Energon rushed to the youngling’s faceplates. “I---I’m Bluestreak, it’s really nice to meet you. I love your work, the colours are amazing. And the little red mech in all of the paintings, I always like to look for him, but I guess you get that alot, right? I’ve never been to one of your shows before but I know mechs that go just to see if they can find him in the paintings. It’s all very mysterious. My friend Moonracer said she’s found him in twenty paintings. That seems like a lot. Is he someone you loved?” Bluestreak asked, faceplates growing hot as he realized that Sunstreaker was staring at him.

Sunstreak laughed, putting a hand at the small of Bluestreak’s spinal struts. “I do get that alot. Everyone always wants to know who he is, but I am afraid that is a secret I will always keep close to my spark.” He smiled enigmatically, it wasn’t a secret he was willing to share. His fingers itched to caress the smooth living metal, but he held still afraid the mechling would flee. The hunger rose, and his attention focused on the energon line in the mechling’s neck cording. He wanted him and badly. “You should model for me, pretty bot. I’d love to paint you, to get to know you better.”

Bluestreak giggled. “I---”

“That would not be possible I fear,” a cold voice stated behind them. “Please remove your hands from my betrothed.” 

Sunstreaker forced away the frown that tried to inch onto his face. He was surprised that Prowl was even here, much less that this beautiful creature was the prince’s. He could not help the edge of resentment that flared through his systems.

Bluestreak turned, his optics widening beautifully. “Prowl, I’m sorry. I didn’t---”

“Bluestreak,” Prowl held out his hand, latching on to Bluestreak as soon as the mech was within reach, pulling him away from Sunstreaker, and to his own side. The proprietary gesture not lost on the golden mech.

“He only asked if he could paint me. That’s all. Please don’t be mad,” Bluestreak whimpered. He moved closer to Prowl, his attention now focused entirely on the other Praxian. Secretly it made Sunstreaker rage, but he was careful not to let his field flare out. The less Prowl knew, the better. He had never been one to share from what little Perceptor had told him of the mech. He also was not someone that Sunstreaker wanted to anger, not when he was still buying up a decent amount of Sunstreaker’s works.

“I meant no harm,” he said in what he hoped to be a placating tone, as much as he wanted the little Praxian in his berth it wasn’t worth losing his livelihood. “I would like to paint him though. Your intended is...beautiful.”

Sunstreaker watched Prowl watch him with heavy optics, the Praxian clearly gave the idea some thought, “Perhaps, I shall consider it.”

“Good,” Sunstreaker smirked and pinged Prowl his comm number before he turned to mingle back into the crowd. He wished things had been differently, but he knew many things and his place in the world. Seducing the city’s prince would only end in someone’s death. Most likely his own.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

It was all Red Alert could do not to glitch. He had done his best to patch Inferno up. He quivered, making himself pay attention to what he was doing rather than the emotion rolling through his tanks. “Why ‘Ferno? You could’ve been killed.” 

“I wasn’t though,” the other mechling shrugged. he had lost some plating, but he had managed to wiggle free of the mech that caught them, and he had come out ahead in his estimation. He had been able to stuff enough energon cubes into his subspace for at least a decacycle, if they were careful about their consumption.

“But---” Red Alert shook.

“No buts,” Inferno said, leaning in he rested their helms together. “It’s worth it.”

Red Alert offlined his optics. He couldn’t imagine leaving Inferno, ever.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

Hook looked at the two mechs before him and frowned. It had been annoying when the test subject he had purchased nearly two vorns ago had escaped. The mechling had never made it to the lab. It had been disappointing, annoying, but he had found a replacement fast enough. Now, he had never expected to hear the mechling had been sighted, and in the company of another. It could prove useful. He had planned to experiment on the little thing, but now he had another use entirely. His intended had slipped through his grasp.

He smiled, a plan already forming.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

Sunstreaker watched Bluestreak from across the room. The mech had not spotted him yet. It had been nearly a quarter of a vorn since he saw the mechling last. He was not a mechling any longer though, and more striking for it, although Sunstreaker doubted that the mech realized that.

“Hello, pretty bot,” Sunstreaker purred. “Are you going to let me paint you now?” He threw an arm around Bluestreak, pulling him close. “I bet you taste wonderful.”

“Better than that,” Sideswipe agreed coming up on their other side, he nuzzled into Bluestreak’s neck, his fangs scraped against the fragile plating there. It made Sunstreaker’s fangs ache to do the same, to taste the energon running under that delicately thin bit of metal.

Sunstreaker listened to Bluestreak whimper, as first Sideswipe’s and then his own fangs sank in tasting. Sucking on the fragile living metal. Sunstreaker moved close, arms enveloping the little bot, even as Sideswipe mirrored the motion on the other side, both drinking deeply. Bluestreak whimpered again, more loudly this time, music to Sunstreaker’s audials. Finally the little Praxian seemed to come back to himself, and pushed against them weakly, “Let me go. Prowl---won’t---”

There was little warning as Sunstreaker felt himself suddenly airborne until he hit the wall with a resounding thump. He was not so much injured physically and his pride was wounded. He slumped against it, shaking his helm and tried to get his bearings as Sideswipe did the same. He didn’t rise, but instead watched Prowl wearily.

Prowl’s wings flared out wide in an angry “V”, a clear aggression. “Stay away from what is mine. I won’t warn you again,” Prowl growled, and Bluestreak to his side. “Next time you will not leave with your life,” he said, optics narrowing and settling on Sunstreaker’s faceplates.

“We meant no harm,” Sideswipe offered, shoulders hunched in submission.

“It matters little to me. Stay away from what is mine or I will end you.” He laced his fingers in Bluestreak’s, pulling the smaller mech away. “I will not warn you again,” he threw over his shoulder.

Sunstreaker watched him go, scooting closer to his brother who he finally leaned against. “It’s not fair. It’s just...not fair.”

OoOoOoOoOoOo

Red Alert ran down the street, energon dripped from the wound the mech had left. It hurt, but not as much as the alternative. He tried not to worry about where they would find a bit of plating to cover what the mech had ripped off.

Inferno’s hand tightened around his, jerking him behind a building as their pursuers dashed passed them. Sometimes it seemed like they did nothing but run and hide, and hide some more.

It had been over a vorn since they had both come together, and they were both in sore need of an upgrade. Red Alert, especially, felt wrong in his frame. It felt far too small and confining. Inferno was at least in his Youngling frame. Unfortunately it was all they could do to keep themselves in fuel. Stealing was hard, not getting caught was harder still.

Inferno spoke more and more often about selling the one thing they had to get an upgrade. His frame. Red Alert vocally refused to consider such a thing an option. They weren’t prostibots, and as he pointed out, any mech that wanted a frame as young as the ones they were both in...well...they would be lucky if they didn’t get offlined. There were fewer and fewer such brothels in the city. It wasn’t a bad thing, and yet it made the bots that would normally frequent such places more inclined to search...elsewhere. 

The thought terrified Red. He knew he had been so very close to going to such a place himself. He shivered, and remembered the mech that had been stupid enough to offer to buy him from Vortex...in front of Sideswipe. There had not been much of him left once they had finally managed to pull Sides away. He let out a little mournful whimper as he thought of his brother, and pressed himself more into Inferno’s side.

“Don’t glitch now. Ya can’t,” Inferno whispered, pulling Red Alert close.

“Not glitching,” the small red mechling hissed back.

“Red,” Inferno’s voice was full of worry.

“I’m not. Just stop it. Lets---let’s go,” Red Alert said, pulling on Inferno’s hand and urging him back towards their hiding place. It seemed safe, although Red felt uneasy for some reason he could not fathom at that moment. Inferno crawled in first, then Red Alert crawled in after. He was almost safely inside when something grabbed one of his peds, jerking him back outside of the safety. He screamed, digging his fingers into the floor, but it did little good.

“Look what I got,” a large bot cackled, dangling Red Alert by his ped far from the floor. “Master Hook will pay well for this, don’t yah---”

Inferno came dashing out of their hiding place, little fists already flailing. “Let him go ya glitch. Let’im go.”

The second mech laughed, knocking Inferno upside the helm, sending the little mech flying. Red Alert watched as Inferno went flying, and landed in a heap. He whimpered, as he was tucked under the large mech’s arm like so much luggage, and the other mech hoisted up Inferno, slinging the insensate mechling over his shoulder.


	3. All Things Change

_Part Three:_

Hook walked about the lab watching his latest acquisitions, and finally stopped in front of the two cages they were sprawled in. The larger of the two stirred first, blue optics wide as he took in the room, and finally settled on Hook. 

The large mech’s lips quirked up into a smile, as his attention fell on Red Alert. “I never thought I would find this one again. Imagine my surprise when he escaped before he had even made it here. I took it out on the broker’s plating.” He gave Inferno a sideways glance, smile growing.

Hook watched the larger mechling out of the corner of his optic as he moved closer to Red Alert. “Perhaps I should start the dissection now. I have always wanted to study a glitch like his.” 

Inferno vented heavily. “No, please. Don’t hurt him. I’ll do anything. Please.” 

“Anything?” Hook laughed, “Yes, I suppose so. You will deliver a message for me.”

Inferno shook, “And you will, will let R-red go then?”

“I will not take him apart piece by piece, while he is alive.” 

“While...” he vented loudly, terrified that it had come down to this. He glanced at Red’s slack face-plates. “I see. And i-if I take this message y-you still won’t let’im go?” 

“Do you want me to lie to you and say yes? Really, it is the difference between a painless off-lining and a long painful one. I can, of course, draw it out for sols. See exactly what makes him tick.”

“Please don’t. I-I’ll do what you want. I’d do anything you want,” Inferno said pleading, his voice spitting static.

Hook hummed, “Oh, you will.”

OoOoOoOoOoOo

Inferno wandered down in the subterranean city, optics wide. He had never imagined such a place existed. He had thought Hook was mad, but he had still followed the mech’s instructions implicitly. He was too afraid for Red to do anything but that. Finally he found the Praxian. Hook had given him a picture file. Of this one and several others. But this was the one he was supposed to deliver the note to. “H-h-he said to only give it ta you.”

He watched the mech named Smokescreen frown down at him, and the blue mech as well. He was the one Hook wanted. He could not help but feel sorry for the mech.

He offered the box he had been holding to Smokescreen, his hands shaking, and flinched away when Smokescreen took the box. “Who sent you?” the Praxian nearly growled at him.

“L-Lord H-H-Hook,” Inferno could not hold back the whimper or stop himself as he cringed away. 

Smokescreen’s frown deepened, which only made Inferno whimper again, fear clear on his faceplates. “He---He said to tell ya he wants w-what’s his.”

Smokescreen opened the box, he did not stop Mirage from seeing the finger that Inferno knew was inside. He had been there when Hook had cut it from the mech’s hand. It was a brilliant shade of blue. Inferno could not help but remember the mech’s screams. It made him flinch to recall it.

“Tracks. He has my brother,” Mirage said dully. “I will have to go to Hook, or he will kill him.” 

“You aren’t going anywhere, I have no doubt he would kill you the minute he found out we bonded. No, Mirage,” Smokescreen said angrily, his tone made Inferno cry out, and flinch away. Smokescreen frowned, his gaze settling on Inferno again, he could not help but stare back at those too blue optics. There was something off about this mech, but Inferno could not figure out what it was. “I am not going to hurt you, but I’m afraid I cannot let you leave.”

“Please don’t kill me, Hook has mah friend. He’ll hurt ‘im if I don’t return,” he pleaded.

“He will hurt him regardless, do you think that bot will not kill you both the minute you return, or use you in his experiments. No, Barricade is coming. He will find a use for you.”

“No, please. He’ll kill Red Alert. Please don’t.” 

Smokescreen sighed, “You will not be hurt,” he repeated, and looked relieved when a black Praxian finally came through the door. 

“What is your name, youngling?” The black bot frowned down at Inferno. 

“Inferno,” he said, optics widening as he took in the black Praxian. If anything he was far more scary looking than Smokescreen, but his field was calm and serene as it finally touched him.

“Come with me, Inferno. We’ll get you cleaned up and a place to recharge.” he said as Inferno followed him out into the hallway.

“W-what’s your name?” Inferno asked, unable to stop his quaking.

“Barricade,” the black Praxian rumbled.

“W-where’re we going?” he made himself ask, he couldn’t help but be scared.

“To the medbay to see Knock Out, and then to find you a berth. You are exhausted, aren’t you?” Barricade asked. His tone surprisingly gentle.

Inferno shook, “T-t-the medbay?” He whimpered. “Please don’t hurt me.”

Barricade ex-vented, looked down at the trembling creature, stopped, and knelt down before him. “We would never hurt you. Once, I had sparklings myself. I would never hurt one such as you. Ever.”

“What’ll happened to them?”

“They grew-up and had sparklings of their own, and in turn their sparklings had sparklings.” 

“Ya must be very old,” Inferno said, squinting up at him.

Barricade only smiled and lead the youngling away.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

Inferno could not recharge. They had taken him to a cozy room with the softest berth he had ever encountered in his short functioning.

He watched with wide optics as the blue mech from earlier came in. He hugged his cube of energon to him, and tried not to shake with fear.

“You’re Inferno, right?” the mech said softly, setting next to Inferno. He was beautiful. Inferno could understand why Hook coveted this mech so much, and it made him feel all the more sorry for him.

“Yeah,” Inferno hunched in on himself. “You’re the bot from yesterday, the one with the scary one.”

“Mirage, yes,” the blue mech smiled, looking amused. “Can you tell me about your friend? I’m going to try to get him back for you. Just...don’t tell anyone I’ve gone, okay?”

Inferno nodded, “Red Alert is smaller’n I am, and red. He’s sick, always has had a glitch. He gets too excited and he glitches. It’s horrible, and I’m so scared for him. That...that mech hurts bots.”

“I know he does, he has my brother too. I’ll get them back.” Mirage smiled, and patted Inferno on the shoulder before heading back to the door.

Inferno watched him go, he could not help but be terrified for all of them. He sat where he was for a long time, wondering what he should do. Finally, he steeled his courage, stood, and went to look for Barricade.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

Red Alert scrunched up as small as he could make himself. The cage’s floor was cold against his plating. The big blue mech in the cage across from him would let out the occasional whimper or keen, but he had stopped screaming. The sound had put Red Alert on edge, making him feel as though he were going to glitch.

He heard a rustling, and sat up, looking about to see what it could be when, a blue mech appeared where there had been nothing before. He put a finger to his lips, motioning for Red to be quite. He hugged himself, complying as he watched the blue mech search the room, looking for Primus knew what.

The mech froze as a rumbling laugh interrupted his search, “I knew you would come.”

The blue mech’s shoulders hunched as Hook towered over him, his green plating glinting eerily in the low light.

“Let my brother go,” he finally managed, his vocalizer going to static from fear. 

Hook looked him up and down, leering, “I don’t think I will. He’s as good for spare parts as the mechling.” He lunged at at the blue mech, grabbing one arm and pulling him close. “And you. I had not anticipated you would look quite this...scrumptious after your upgrade. Perhaps, I will even take a taste before I remove your spark.”

Red Alert put his hands over his optics, whimpering in fear. He did not want to see this.

The blue mech whimpered as he was pulled deeper into the room, to a medical berth in the middle of the room. Red Alert heard him gasp in horror at the sight before him, the little bot could not blame him. He had done the same when he had seen that horror. The frame on the slab was made of bits and pieces. How many bots had died for it’s construction, Red Alert didn’t even want to guess. He was scared he would be among that number soon.

“What have you done?”

“They were imperfect,” Hooks said dismissively. “Just as you are. But that will change soon enough.”

Red Alert hummed, trying to drown out the noise of the struggle happening across the room. He still heard the clatter of metal as the blue mech was thrown to the floor, or the scream that followed. He heard the clatter of metal as it skidded across the floor, and more screaming, but he dared not move his hands off of his optics, even when the tone of the screams changed and the clatter of metal on metal grew louder.

Mirage gasped as he was thrown to the floor. It stunned him for a moment, long enough for Hook to press him down, ripping away the small bot’s interface panel. He screamed, loud and high, his vision whiting out.

He peeked through his fingers and was surprised to see the blue mech scrambling away from Hook’s prone body. There was energon. So much of it creeping across the floor. He whimpered as the first few lumbering figures came into the room, and fell on the large mech.

The blue mech ran over to the cages they were in, and sliced through the locks. “We have to get out of here before they tire of him.”

Red Alert clung to the blue mech as he was scooped up into his arms, and they ran. He buried his face against the mech’s neck cording trying to drown out the sounds of pursuit. Finally they made it to the door.

They were nearly to the gate when they nearly ran into a Praxian. There was something about him that made Red Alert uneasy. Something that reminded him of Vortex. He clung more tightly to his rescuer.

“What the frag are you doing? You could have been offlined,” the mech stopped as he looked the blue mech up and down, and gasped.

“Just get me home,” the blue mech said, carefully setting Red Alert to his peds before he fell to the ground, fainting from the pain.

Red Alert gasped, optics wide. “Is he okay?”

The Praxian stared at him for a moment before scooping the blue mech up, “His name is Mirage, and yes, he will be okay.” He leveled his gaze at the other blue coloured mech that Mirage had said was his brother.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

Red Alert watched with wide optics as he followed the Praxian through the tunnels below the city. He had never imagined that THIS was down below. The other mech Mirage rescued, who Red Alert learned was named Tracks, followed behind gawking just as openly. He still felt uncomfortable in the presence of the Praxian, but he had made no move to hurt him. At least not yet. “Where are we going?” Red Alert finally gathered up the courage to ask.

“To the medbay. You all need looked over. And...someone is there waiting for you,” the Praxian said, not slowing his pace down the corridor.

“Who?”

“Another mechling. Inferno, I believe,” Smokescreen said, watching the mechling turn from scared to positively giddy in a matter of moments.

“He’s not hurt, is he?”

“No, mostly worried for you,” a voice said, as a second Praxian joined them. “I’m Barricade, I’ll take you to him.” The black mech offered his hand. Red Alert hesitated for a moment before slipping his small hand against the bigger mech’s. “He’s off in one of the isolation rooms, sleeping.”

“Oh. Why?” Red Alert asked as he was lead into what must have been the medbay, and then away from the others. It made him nervous, but he was more concerned with seeing Inferno than his own safety.

The room they finally ended up in was small, a low to the ground berth in one corner, and in a mound of cooling blankets was Inferno. Red Alert gasped, his hand falling away from Barricade’s as he ran across the room and flung himself at the other sparkling. “‘Ferno. I thought you were dead.”

Inferno startled out of recharge, reflexively grabbing ahold of Red Alert. “Red!”

They hugged each other, clinging long after Barricade left them, shutting the door behind them.

“Oh, Red,” Inferno said, pulling the cooling blankets around both of them. “I was so scared for you. I didn’t ever think I’d see you again.”

“I’m here though, an’ so’re you. I think...we’re safe. maybe. I don’t know. That one was like Vortex. Maybe the one that brought me in here too. I don't want them to eat us. That is what they do. I’ve seen it,” Red Alert’s optics went wide.

 

“I don’t think they are like that. They seem nice. Mirage is very nice. We should go see him. He went to get you for me,” Inferno said, looking thoughtful. “I don’t think they’d go to all of this trouble for a snack.”

Red Alert shook, “But they would, Vortex---Vortex said that we’re delicacies. Our energon is so much sweeter, and they’re gonna gobble us up. We should leave.”

Inferno frowned, “But it feels safe here. I don’t wanna leave. I---I really don’t think they would have rescued you if all they wanted to do was eat us.” He hugged the smaller sparkling tightly. “Just stay with me and we’ll be safe. I promise.”

Red Alert whimpered, but let Inferno hold on to him. “Fine.” He said, and let his optics close.

“It’ll be fine,” Inferno murmured against Red Alert’s audial. He held on tightly until he felt the other mechling’s system’s slow and finally fall into recharge.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

They were woken up a joor later when the medic came to check on them. Red Alert was not sure what to think of the bright red mech at all. They both sat on one med berth while the red medic, who said his name was Knock Out looked them over. He jacked into them each in turn, humming over the read outs.

Red Alert could only stare at the other two occupied berths with contained Mirage and Tracks. They both had monitors on them and appeared to be in recharge.

“Are th-they okay?” Red Alert finally asked when the medic stopped scanning them.

“They are both fine. None of their injuries were spark threatening, so they are getting some rest before I patch them up. Like you two will be before Firestar comes to get you.”

“Who’s Firestar?” Inferno piped up, even as he craned his head to see what the pad said.

“She is the femme you will be staying with. She will be taking care of you, and teaching you until we can find some tutors for you. Prowl doesn’t like it when bots are idle, but still, it’s a good place to live,” Knock Out winked at them, and went to a closet bringing back a cooling blanket. “Want to fuel before you rest?”

Red Alert watched him with wide optics, “Are ya try’in ta stuff us with fuel before ya eat us? You are, aren’t you. Those other mechs are...are...fuel suckers. I’ve seen it. Vortex was one.”

Knock Out blinked at him, pulling a box of gelled energon from his subspace. “No...I can’t say that I am. You are far too small for my tastes.” 

If anything Red’s optics got bigger still. “I don’t wanna be a snack.” 

Knock Out nodded, looking completely serious. “We would not do that to you, scraplet. Now eat. It will be awhile before Firestar gets off shift, and you will want to be awake when she get here.”

They shared the box of gelled energon, consuming most of it hurriedly, before curling up together on the berth and falling back into recharge.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

“Wake up, little one,” a gentle touch nudged at Red Alert until he finally stirred from recharge. He cycled his optics, and blinked muzzly at the pair of femmes before him. One was not much older than he should be, a gangly youngling that blinked back at him with wide optics.

“Hello,” the small femme moved forward, much too close for Red Alert’s comfort. “I’m Flareup, Firestar said you were going to live with us. Isn’t that exciting? I think it is, we’ll be great friends, I know we will,” she said enthusiastically, missing the way Red Alert flinched back from her entirely in her zeal.

“Flareup, you are scaring him,” the femme who had woken Red up said patiently, pulling the youngling back and giving Red Alert some room. 

Inferno stirred beside him, optics wide as he took in the scene. “What is going on?” He pulled Red against him, clinging tightly. “You can’t separate us. I won’t let you.” 

“That was never my intention, Inferno.” The older femme smiled, “C'mon, let us get you to your rooms and settled in. There’s much we need to get done before we can arrange for your upgrades.” 

Red Alert Perked up. “We’ll get upgrades?”

“Of course,” Firestar said, as she helped them down from the berth and lead them through the medbay. Her blue optic dimmed as she watched the younglings.

Red Alert craned his head, and watched her. “You’re one of’em too, aren’t you?” he asked unhappily, his field pulling in tight against his chassis. She did not so much feel wrong, as different. Other.

“I am, but that just means I will be better able to protect you.”

“Or eat us,” Red Alert said, his little optics narrowing. “I know what ‘appens. I’ve seen it.”

“Firestar would never do that,” Flareup exclaimed, looking both shocked and offended that the little, red mech would even suggest such a thing. “Prowl would not allow that. Ever.”

“Stop it, you’re upsetting him,” Inferno squeezed between them, pushing Red Alert behind him. “He’ll glitch.”

The older femme sighed, pulling the younglings apart. It was going to be a long cycle. “Stop, all of you. The hallway is not the place for this.” She herded them towards their new home, opening the door she ushered them inside.

“No one is going to be eating anyone. That is not how we operate here,” Firestar said as she closed the door behind them. “This is the main room, you can use the vidscreen. The energon dispenser is in the corner over there,” she said, pointing at the little nook with a large table and a counter along the wall. “As for your berthrooms, Flareup will show you.” 

“Rooms?” Inferno scowled at the femme. “We stay together.”

Firestar raised a browplate, “I’m not sure that is appropriate.” 

Red Alert quivered, inching closer to Inferno a whimper escaped his vocalizer. “You do wanna eat us. I knew it. She’s trying ta separate us, ‘Ferno.” He stared up at the femme the look in his optics far closer to a cornered turbo fox than a socialized sparkling at that moment. “Gonna eat us. I knew it.”

Firestar shook her helm, huffed softly, “If it means that much to you, fine. But no shenanigans. Do you understand me?” 

Red’s browplate’s wrinkled together. He had no idea what shani-whatevers were, but he would agree to anything if it meant he could stay with Inferno. “Y-yes, we understand you,” he said, already clinging to Inferno like a techno-leech.

She chuffed, “Go show them to their room, Flareup.”

The smaller femme stepped forward, “Oh, com’on. It’s a couple of doors down from my own.” She walked down the hall, a hop in her step, and finally stopped in front of the last door in the hallway. “This was supposed to be Inferno’s room, but I guess it’s both of yours. Right?” 

Red Alert narrowed his optics, “Right.” He craned his neck looking around the room. It was full of...things. The berth was pushed against one wall, with several mesh and cooling blankets folded on it. He had never seen any that weren’t tattered or in pieces. There was a small energon dispenser in the corner, along with a low counter and some stools. Red Alert walked about, touching the counter, then the stools as he wondered if it was even real. He really was having a flux dream. He had to be.

Inferno moved to the other corner, poking at the vid screen, that he recognized at least, and then at a smaller monitor that was sitting on a desk. “What’s this?” 

“Oh, a learning console. We’ll have to get a second one I guess,” Flareup shrugged, and scooted closer. “There is a room full of them where we go to learn with the other younglings. There are a few of us here, not many. Maybe there will be more soon. I hope so. Sparklings are so cute.” She beamed at the two small mechs, Red Alert exchanged a glance with Inferno. The femme was daft, he knew it.

“What’s in here?” Red Alert asked, moving across the room to the door in the side. He opened it, and stared with wide optics.

“Just the washracks, you should probably use it. You’re...eh,” the femme shut her mouth with a snap.

“Dirty.” Inferno huffed. He craned his neck, looking inside. He had never been in a washrack, much less used one. “You think we’re dirty. I know it.” 

“I---I can run you a solvent bath if you want me too. B-but you might want to shower first,” she squirmed under Inferno’s intense glare.

“Fine.” Inferno opticed the femme. He didn’t trust her. Not even a little bit. “How’s it work?” He peered into the washrack, up at the showerhead.

“Here...it has preset temperature. You just need to press that button,” she said pointing at a green button on the punch pad outside of the washrack. “Go ahead and get in, I’ll...I guess get some microfiber cloths.” She squinted her optics at them, secretly thinking she would need a pile of them to get all of the grime off. They were the dingiest two sparklings, grey and brown plating so dirty she was not sure what colour was underneath. Maybe a dull orange and grey. She found it impossible to tell. They could both be brown. It seemed common enough for bots from the slums to have such dull colouring, but she wasn’t going to point that out, Firestar would have her helm.

Inferno stepped in first, dragging a reluctant Red Alert after him, causing the little bot to squeal in alarm as the solvents hit his plating. He would have run right back out had Inferno not kept a good hold on him, and Flareup shut the shower door to go get cleaning solution.

“Lemme out, lemme me out.” Red Alert squealed, and tried to squirm out of Inferno’s grasp. “It’s gonna melt our plating. We’re gonna die. I told ya they’re tryin’ ta kill us. I told ya. Why wouldn't you listen. It’s gonna melt our plating.”

“Red! Stop it. It’s not. It doesn’t burn,” Inferno huffed, “You’re going to make yourself glitch.” He hugged the smaller mech tightly. “See, it isn’t bad.” 

Flareup peeked back in, bringing a bottle and a bucket full of clean sponges with her as she came in. She vented for a moment as she realized she was probably going to end up both wet and dirty herself. Firestar did give her a task and would be completely disappointed if it was not completed.

She opticed Red Alert, knowing that they would need to start with the flight risk first. “You should open up your armor as much as possible, and your vents, they are probably clogged up with muck.”

“Tryin’ to offline me. I know ya are,” he growled, when she came at him brandishing a sponge.

“No, I’m trying to get you clean,” she said, scrubbing at the plating. The solvent ran off the color of pitch, and full of debris and particulates. Flareup did not hide the scowl on her faces as she scrubbed. Inferno grabbed a sponge as well, working on Red Alert’s other side. Red Alert squealed, squirmed, and begged, but they continued to work on his plating. The runoff slowly changed from black, to murky, and finally clear, leaving a shiny red and white mech in the grimy ones place.

“Oh, aren’t you a cute thing,” Flareup said, unable to hide her surprise. She beamed at him as if she had something to do with that. “Grab a sponge, you can help with Inferno.”

Red Alert narrowed his optics and vented hard as he grabbed a sponge and scrubbed at Inferno’s back plating. He glowered at the femme, his dislike for her growing by the moment. The femme hummed, far too cheerful, and her sponge skittered over Inferno’s chassis. Red Alert bit back a growl, fingers gripping the sponge hard. He wanted to slap the Femme’s hands away. Inferno was not hers to touch and certainly not to giggle with and carry on like she was.

The solvent ran dark. If anything he was more filthy that Red Alert. The scum washed away, revealing the red and white beneath.

“Oh, but aren’t you handsome when cleaned up,” Flareup exclaimed, patting Inferno on the cheek, making the mech smile.

Red Alert hissed, slapping her hand away. “Stop touchin’ him like that.” He wiggled in between them, glaring daggers at Flareup. “He’s my mech and ya can’t have him. Mine.”

“Red,” Inferno put his hands on Red Alert’s shoulder pauldrons. “She didn’t mean anything by it.”

“Lies. She wants ta take you away from me. They want ta use us, like that...that...brothel that-that Vortex tried to sell me to.” Red Alert’s frame quivered, electricity crawling along his sensor horns.”

Flareup took a step back, optics dilated as wide as they would go. “We would never do that. Prowl would offline anyone that tried. He would have killed Vortex long ago, if he could. Firestar says he’s a slippery con-artist.”

Red Alert sputtered, the electrical charge growing. “You lie. Everything you say is a lie. I know it is.” His vocalizations rose in volume, the last nearly eclipsed in static. His optics flared white as the glitch took him. His body stiffened, a scream breaking free of his body before he collapsed, body going limp.

Inferno caught him right before he hit the washrack floor. He grunted at the sudden dead weight in his arms. “Don’t argue with him like that, it only makes it worse.” Inferno glared as he got a better grip on Red Alert, pulling him up into his arms. “He’s fragile.”

Flareup’s lower lip quivered. “I’m sorry. I d-didn’t mean to upset him that much.” She hurriedly shut off the solvents and pushed Inferno and Red under the blow-drier. “I’m sorry. I really am. Do---Do you want me to go get Firestar? Or Knock Out. The medic should look at him. Maybe they could fix it.”

Inferno hugged Red Alert even more tightly. “Fine.” He would have said anything to make the femme leave. He pressed his back to the wall, and let himself slide down. “C’mon Red, boot-up,” he crooned, petting the red plating. His optics dimmed in worry. This had happened far too many times lately. The glitch seemed to be worsening.

He was still on the floor holding Red Alert’s limp form when Flareup led Knock Out and Firestar inside. The medic grimaced as he kneeled in front of Inferno, a medical pad already in his hand. He jacked in, optics half lidded as he watched the medical readout, and then cursed loudly.

“Scrap, we aren’t going to be able to wait,” Knock Out said, looking back at Firestar. “He should be in his final youngling upgrade. Being in this small of a frame is taxing out his systems.” 

“That old? The strain on his spark must be horrendous,” Firestar murmured, she dropped to her knees in front of Inferno. “We are going to need to take him to the medbay, sweetspark.” She opened her arms to take Red Alert from Inferno, not entirely surprised when the little mechling growled at her.

Inferno stood, wobbling for a moment before he gained his footing. “He wouldn't want you touching him.” Red Alert was pulled tightly against him, sensor horns still sparking.

“No, I can’t imagine that he would,” Firestar said, bringing up the back as they all headed towards the medbay. “We would not hurt him though, despite what he might think.”

Inferno shrugged, making a sound of non-commitment as they finally reached the medbay and waited for Knock Out to prepare the growth tank. Inferno held Red Alert close rather than put him on one of the berths, his optics tracking Knock Out’s movements as the tank was filled, the nanites added. He had never seen such a thing and only vaguely recalled going for his first upgrade. “Will it hurt?”

“No, he will be in stasis the entire time, you should wake up before him though. So don't worry,” Knock Out said, syringe in hand as he crossed the room.

“What? No. I can’t go in. He’ll be so confused and upset. He won’t recognize me,” Inferno said, backing away. “I can’t.”

“You are in as much danger as he is.” Knock Out said, lunging and grabbing Inferno before he could get more than two steps away.

“Let go, let go,” Inferno screamed, nearly dropping Red Alert in his struggle to get away from Knock Out. He screamed louder still as Knock Out sunk the syringe into his neck lines. Inferno whimpered, his movements becoming uncoordinated until he finally slumped against Knock Out.

“Rust it all!” Knock Out struggled under the weight of both younglings, finally easing them onto the closest medical berth. “Breakdown, get your lazy aft in here. I need help.”

Firestar and Flareup watched off to the side, both looking shocked at Knock Out’s behavior. “Is this wise?” Firestar finally asked.

Knock Out glared, and went to check the growth tank. “It is our only course at this point.” 

“What do you need me to do?” she finally asked, moving close to the younglings laid out on the medberth.

“Nothing,” Knock Out said, his optics following Breakdown as he brought in the supplies to prep both of the younglings to go into the tank.

“Usual monitors?” The larger bot asked, already hooking monitors into the little mech’s systems.

“Yes. Tanks ready,” Knock Out said, crossing the room seemingly ignoring the two femmes as he plugged into Red Alert’s system, and began tweaking lines of code. “I doubt we will be able to get rid of the glitch completely, it’s...part of his core programming. It was left too long to remove. It’s become too integrated into the rest of his code, but...I might be able to lessen the effects. We won’t know how effective it is until he comes out of the tank.” He looked back at Firestar.

“I understand. It...changes nothing, Knock Out. He is my responsibility,” Firestar said solemnly. She didn’t leave the medbay until both younglings had been placed into their tanks.


	4. You Cannot Always Have What You Want

_Part Four:_

Bluestreak sat on the couch, a look of concentration on his faceplates as he sat very still. Sunstreaker could tell there was an internal battle going on there for the little grey Praxian not to chatter or shift about. Miraculously he did neither. His optics did stray to Prowl, who sat off to the side, watching both Bluestreak and Sunstreaker as he painted. It was not an arrangement that Sunstreaker had readily agreed to. Temptation right in front of him, and the source of his current discomfort watching him as a cyberhawk would a glitchmouse.

The painting, at least, was turning out far better than Sunstreaker would have imagined. Bluestreak came to life on canvas, it caught Sunstreaker’s very spark like the mech himself. His optics strayed from the canvas and over to Prowl. He did not like the mech, less so by the klik.

“Smokescreen has told me you spent time with Vortex before Perceptor took you in.”

“What of it?” Sunstreaker growled. Putting down his brush into the solvent, he glared at the elder vampire.

“He has been the cause of much unrest in my city. Despite my best efforts, I have never been able to rid myself of him or his...less than savoury activities. I was just wondering what insight you could give me? You have seen the organization from a unique perspective.” Pale optics fixed on Sunstreaker, making him squirm where he stood.

“Unique perspective...that is one way of describing it. He destroyed my life, and took one of the few things I loved in this world away from me. Unique. Right.” Shifting his limbs, he betrayed how agitated he was.

“Your youngest brother?”

“Red Alert, yes. The monster claimed that his spark gave out. More likely...he drained him dry. It wasn’t what he deserved. He was such a good little mechling.”

Prowl made a humming noise, “And you believed Vortex?”

“I...don’t know. The alternative makes my spark churn, what do you expect? I wish he was still functioning, but...” Sunstreaker shook his helm feeling ill. “I don’t want to imagine that he was taken to a brothel, or sold to one of our kind. Neither is a pleasant fate. How would you feel if that had happened to your own siblings?” he finally snapped, losing what little patience he had. 

“I would mourn as you have,” Prowl finally answered, “Until I could take that monster apart.”

“Some of us cannot afford the luxury of revenge, my lord.”

“Sunstreaker---” Bluestreak shifted, and then froze at the growl that emanated from Sunstreaker’s vocalizer.

“Don’t move,” the golden mech said, crossing the space and rearranging Bluestreak’s limbs until he was satisfied with the result. “If you move you will ruin the composition. I’ve nearly mapped it all out.”

A whine escaped Bluestreak’s vocalizer, which made Sunstreaker growl in turn as he imagined the whine coming from the mech for another reason entirely. Sunstreaker’s engines revved as he stepped away, and shot Prowl a scathing look. He had no doubt that the vampire just wanted to torture him, dangling something that he wanted dearly in front of his faceplates, only to deny him.

The bland look on Prowl’s faceplates were enough to make Sunstreaker growl. “I think we are done today,” Prowl said, not bothering to conceal his amusement. “If we find out any information about Red Alert’s fate, I will let you know.”

“What?” Sunstreaker shook at those words. 

“Smokescreen is already investigating the brothels and chop shops, and we have...others making inquiries about mechlings that young being sold as energon slaves. I cannot promise any results, but we will look into it.”

“I---thank you, my lord,” Sunstreaker glanced away, his spark pounding in it’s casing.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

He came online flailing. Liquid sloshed against his sensors increasing the sense of panic that swept through him. Liquid sped down his intake as he screamed, and pounded on the wall above him. Light flooded the tank as the lid was hastily opened, and Red Alert was pulled from the tank sputtering. He heaved, the liquid leaving his tank violently.

He struggled, his limbs feeling too long and ungainly, as he was finally lifted bodily from the tank and sat onto the floor, dripping. His legs did not want to hold him up, leaving him gripping the bot who had taken him from the tank.

“Calm down, scraplet.” He knew that voice. Knock Out’s assistant. He had never spoke with him, but he remembered him clearly from before. The film covering his optics left him nearly blind. He reached up to wipe it away only to have Breakdown bat his arm away.

“What happened, where’m I?” He whimpered, and clung harder to the other mech. “What’d ya do with ‘Ferno?” 

“Let’s get you cleaned up, Knock Out is on his way. You woke up early on us.” His feet were scooped out from under him, leaving Red Alert squirming weakly in the other mech’s arms. “Just calm down.”

“What’ve ya done with ‘Ferno?” A distressed chirp left his vocalizer.

“Haven’t done anything with him. He’s still in his tank.” Red Alert flailed against him, and an elbow dug into Breakdown’s side, but he didn’t drop the squirming bot. Instead he carried him in the washrack, turned on the solvent, and pushed Red Alert under it.

Red Alert struggled to get away, shrieking loudly as he was pushed back under the spray after each thwarted escape attempt. “Lemme go, lemme **GO**!” 

He was finally pulled out from under the spray and pushed under a dryer. The baleful glare he leveled at Breakdown did little to dissuade the large mech.

“Are you going to cooperate when I wax you?” Breakdown asked gruffly.

“What, so ya can make me look pretty when ya sell me to the brothel? No way. Did ya already sell Inferno? Is that it?” Red Alert hissed, his fingers clenching into fists.

“Scrap. You are a glitch. He’s still in his growth tank. Frag it. Let me show you.” The large mech herded Red Alert through the medbay to a tank not unlike the one he came out of, only larger. “See.”

Gasping Red Alert leaned over, pressing against the clear metaliglass he watched the bot inside. “I don’t understand. He looks like ‘Ferno, but ‘Ferno is so---so much smaller. I don’t understand.” Ex-venting loudly he stood on shaky legs. The glitch did not overwhelm his systems, but he felt as though it should. It should have swept through his system, taking him away from this mess. Instead he was left staring at Knock Out’s assistant on the verge of hysteria.

“Shhhhh...it’s okay, squirt. You’re bigger too.” Breakdown steered the smaller bot to a large mirror that covered one wall. “See.” 

Optics wide Red Alert leaned in, watching the bot in the mirror do the same. “That isn’t me.” His armor clamped tightly against his protoform. Fingers reaching out until he touched the mirror he let out a full body shudder. “That can’t be me.”

Breakdown snorted behind him, “It’s you. I promise. Ya better let me polish you up before the boss gets here.” 

He did not protest this time when Breakdown dragged him away from the mirror and sat him down. wax was smoothed across his plating and rubbed in until he shined under the dim lights. It was easy to let himself drift.

Red Alert sat there, confused, even more so when he went through all of the notifications that had came up on his HUD. Notifications that he had ignored in his earlier hysteria. Software upgrades. Upgrades to his firewalls. Weapons. Armour. Everything, it seemed, had been changed. 

“I wasn’t expecting you to come out of the tank for at least another deca-cycle, runt,” Knock Out said from the doorway, the way he stared made Red Alert uncomfortable. “Aren’t you a looker?” The red mech moved closer, tilting up Red Alert’s chin to peer at it. “Much better than I imagined, in fact.”

Breakdown growled, “Knock Out, you glitch, I just got him calmed down.” He caught Red Alert as he jumped from the bench, attempting to flee.

“I won’t do it. I won’t do it. You can’t make me go with someone. I’m not going to the brothel,” he screeched, struggling until his freshly waxed plating was scuffed with Breakdown’s own blue.

“What the frack is he carrying on about?” Knock Out asked, watching Red Alert struggle with a morbid curiosity.

“Kid thinks we're gonna sell him to a brothel or something. Frag. He was fine until you opened your trap,” Breakdown ex-vented loudly when Red Alert finally sagged against him, exhausted.

“I want ‘Ferno,” Red Alert croaked.

“He’s not scheduled to come out of the tank for three more solar cycles. I’m not bringing him out early,” Knock Out said flatly.

“You just wanna separate us.”

“No, I do not. But this...is not healthy. You can cope for three sols without him,” Knock Out said firmly. “You will, and no amount of fit throwing is going to make me take him out of that tank early.”

“You just want to sell me to a brothel. I know your kind. You are like Vortex,” Red Alert quivered, armour clattering, and he tried to struggle out of Breakdown’s grasp once more. “I know mechs like you. You only want to use slumbots like me.”

“It isn’t like that, Little Red,” Breakdown frowned, and pet the small mech’s plating slowly as if trying to calm a feral cybercat.

Knock Out let vented loudly, “You are not a slumbot. You are one of our own now. Do you not understand this? Any of us would protect you with our lives, mechlet. I’m going to comm Firestar to come get you.”

“I don’t wanna go with her. I want ‘Ferno. I want ‘Ferno.” A chirp like a distraught sparkling would make escaped his vocalizer.

Knock Out and Breakdown exchanged a look obviously communicating with each other over a private comm. “Fine. Do you want to stay here until he wakes up?”

Red Alert relaxed against Breakdown at the suggestion. “Can I?” he asked in a tiny voice. 

“You can,” Knock Out said, pushing his field out until it enveloped both Breakdown and Red Alert. “We will set a cot up for you beside the tank. If that is what you want.”

Burying his face against Breakdown’s chestplating he let out another sparkling like chirrup. “Yes. Please.”

Knock Out nodded, walking away. He came back moments later with a rolling berth that he took over to the tank. Moments later Breakdown set Red Alert on the little berth and pulled a soft mesh around him. The tank was close enough that Red Alert could reach out and touch it. Inside, Inferno’s optics were offline as he floated in the liquid.

Red Alert drifted into recharge watching Inferno, hand pressed to the metaliglass.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

Red Alert was up early in the next day cycle. Mechs came in and out of the medbay, most to see Knock Out. He watched them all warily from his spot beside Inferno’s tank. He sat as close as he could to it without actually sitting on it. He might have done that had Knock Out not already warned him off of it.

He noticed Breakdown watching him on more than one occasion. He gave the other mech a tiny little smile. He liked the mech, as loath as he was to admit it, and did not flinch away when the big mech finally came to sit beside him.

“What are you doing, sprocket? Do you want me to get you some datapads to read?” Breakdown asked, patting Red Alert’s shoulder awkwardly.

Red Alert blinked at him, “What? Read the datapads? Never learned ta do that.” He tilted his head and frowned at the big mech. “Never had anyone ta teach me.” 

Breakdown frowned, opened his mouth to say something, then thought better of it. “No, i don’t imagine you would. You should have the patch in the updates to your system. It will make it easier, with the learning pads. I’ll bring you some in a bit. Might as well be productive while you are here.” His optics drifted to the tank. “‘Sides, it would impress old ‘Ferno here, wouldn’t it?”

Red Alert perked up. “It would. Then I could teach him.”

Breakdown chuckled, “You could.” He smoothed a hand across Red Alert’s helm, only a little surprised when Red Alert leaned into the touch. “I’m sure he would be proud of you.” He finally got up, giving Red Alert’s helm a final pat, tweaking a sensor horn like he would have to one of his younger siblings. “Stay there, I’ll go get the pads, and we will get you set up.”

The light feeling in Red Alert’s chest grew. He wasn’t sure what the emotion was, but he felt at ease, and safe here. Much more than he did in the rooms with Firestar. He wanted to stay, maybe even after Inferno woke up, but he knew well enough that they wouldn't let him do that.

Soon Breakdown came back with a small stack of datapads in tow. “These were Bluestreak’s,” he said, handing Red Alert the first pad. “These should be a good start in any case. You jack in to it and it will give you the specific downloads for that lesson.”

“Oh,” Red Alert exclaimed, hand caressing the pad. He had never held on before, never needed to. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. Hopefully we’ll have a tutor for you by the time Inferno is out of the tank, but a jumpstart isn’t gonna hurt, right?”

Red Alert’s lipplates curled into a little smile. “Right.” He looked at the little side panel on the pad, frowning in confusion. “How...do I..ah...jack into it?”

Breakdown showed him the panel on his arm, and how to trip the catch. Red Alert stared at the jack and cable spooled underneath. “Oh.”

“Yes. Just unwind it and put the jack in the port on the side of the pad,”

“Feels funny,” Red Alert laughed, looking relaxed as the download began.

“Yeah, sometimes it does, at least right after an upgrade. How do you feel?” Breakdown asked, sitting back until he was leaning against the tank.

“Too tall. Ungainly,” squirming, he wiggled until he was settled in the crook of Breakdown’s arm. The large mech’s field enveloped him, leaving Red Alert feeling safe for the first time in a long time. “It’s uncomfortable. I miss ‘Ferno.” He let out a little unhappy chirp.

“He will be back online soon enough,” Breakdown said gruffly. “I promise you that.”

“I know, but waiting is hard. Normally---normally I would just have went into a glitch,” Red Alert shifted, chirping again. The glitches scared him more than he was willing to admit. He was afraid that one day he would go in to one and never come back out.

“Probably won’t come on as easily now. Knock Out was able to fix some of the code that was causing you to glitch,” the large blue mech looked down at Red Alert, and hummed softly. He glanced over to where Knock Out was working on the other side of the medbay.

Red Alert curled closer into the warm field, his systems purring before he realized it. There was comfort here. The kind of comfort he had not had since his brothers were taken from his life.

The downloads finished and he began to work through the first lesson on the datapad, safe against Breakdown. His brow knitted in concentration.

“Red, do you want to stay with Firestar?” he glanced down, watching the expression change on the younglings face.

“I---I don’t know. I don’t really know her---and I don’t----I don’t really like Flareup. She upset me. She wants ta take Inferno away from me.” He finished the lesson, and put the pad off to the side, turning his full attention to Breakdown. “I love Inferno. I want to bond with him when we are older. I---I can’t let someone like her come between us.”

“Big thoughts for such a little mechling,” Breakdown said, sounding sad. “Would you---would you like to stay with Knock Out and I instead?” 

A tremor swept through the youngling, making Breakdown’s optics brighten with worry. “I could do that? You want me?”

“‘Course we want you,” Breakdown beamed, totally ignoring the look that Knock Out shot him across the infirmary, or the way the red medic stomped over to where there were sitting.

“We need to talk,” Knock Out hissed, grabbing Breakdown’s arm and pulling him away, and across the medbay.

Red Alert watched the argument from where he sat, stewing, and knowing that Breakdown would withdraw his invitation once he returned. His mate was not amenable to the idea, clearly.

Shoulders slumped the longer he watched the argument draw out. It seemed like no one but Inferno wanted him, and maybe that wouldn’t even last. Maybe Inferno would leave him behind for Flareup. The thought was enough to make his ventilations stutter and coolant to pool in his optics. 

The argument rose in pitch, and volume, never quite enough for Red Alert to make out what they were saying. Knock Out finally threw up his hands in defeat, leaving a grinning Breakdown striding back towards Red. He sat back down beside Red Alert, scooting back against the tank.

“Well, that went well,” he grinned. “I’ll have the spare berthroom ready by the time Inferno gets out of the growth tank. And I will talk to Firestar. Don’t worry your little processor about it.”

“But he---he doesn’t want me there,” Red Alert shook.

Breakdown shook his helm. “It’s not like that, sweetspark. I promise. He’s just still hurting. When we were a little older than you are now Knock Out got sparked. We were too young, and it did not end well. We lost the newspark. It’s why he became a medic. Weak sparks run in his line, and he never wanted that to happen again. It’s also why I worry about you and Inferno. I don’t want you to make the same mistakes that we did.” Breakdown leaned over until their helms touched.

“It’ll all be alright,” Red Alert said, believing it for the first time. He didn’t understand everything that Breakdown said, but he knew that the older mech cared, and for now that was enough.

“It will,” Breakdown agreed.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

Red Alert took what the large blue mech said to spark. His time staying in the medbay went smooth enough, and he did not leave Inferno’s side for those three solar cycles. The third solar cycle came and went without any sign of Inferno stirring. By the beginning of the fourth solar cycle Red Alert was agitated and fretting.

“Why isn’t he online yet?” he asked, pacing in front of the tank. “You said he would be up,” he glared at the shiny red mech before him. “There is something wrong with him, isn’t there?” A whimper escaped his mouth. “Is he going to offline?”

“No, he’s not,” Knock Out said, checking the readings on the growth tanks control panel. “His growth has just been...slower than the simulation predicted originally. it happens sometimes. Mechs respond differently. You were out before we expected you to, for example.”

Red Alert canted his helm to the side, “Why would I be in there longer than normal?” He stretched out his limbs, they were much, much longer than before. “I guess I had a lot of growing to do. Is that why?”

Knock Out cleared his intake, and scowled at the smaller mech. “That is part of it. You were undersized. There were the issues with your processor and the glitch. That went far faster than we imagined it would. There was also all of the auxiliary systems that were built, and the gestation systems. Carriers generally take a lot longer, Runt.”

“Carrier? What do you mean? I’m not a carrier. Am I?” he turned, looking at his back. “I’m not a truckbot, or like ‘Ferno. Pretty sure he could carry lots.”

Knock Out blinked at him, cycling his optics several times, “You know where sparklings come from, don’t you?”

“What does that have ta do with anything?” Red Alert frowned, brow knitting together. “Sunny always said sparklings were gifts from Primus. Doesn’t he make them?”

Knock Out opened his mouth, then shut it with a snap, before he turned and bellowed, “Breakdown, come here.”

The blue mech walked over, and sat down on Red’s impromptu berth. “What’s up?”

Knock Out’s optics flicked between the two mechs. “Runt here has some questions for you, and I...have other things to get done.” He hurried off before Red Alert could even open his mouth again.

“Well, what’s up, Little Red?” Breakdown asked, patting the spot beside him.

A little huff escaped Red Alert’s vocalizer. “He said I was a carrier. I don’t know. He wouldn't explain to me what he meant, but I think it has something to do with sparklings.”

“Oh,” Breakdown exclaimed, shooting a glare at Knock Out, who was pretending to be busy on the other side of the medbay. “Well...carriers are special. They have a gestation tank inside them, which is where sparklings can grow...if the conditions are right.”

Red Alert cycled his optics. “Whaddya mean.”

“Some mechs can create life. That is where some sparklings come from. Others are created by Vector Sigma. Carriers are special though, you are special, Red.”

“That...is what you meant when you said Knock Out got sparked up? He had a sparkling growing inside of him? And it offlined?” He shook at the realization. “I don’t want that to happen.”

“No one wants that to happen, sweetspark. Sometimes Primus isn’t ready to let go of them though. I’m sure you will be fine if you ever decide to carry. We’ll make sure of it and keep you safe.” He pulled Red Alert close until he was nestled in the crook of Breakdown’s arm. He nuzzled the youngling’s sensor horn, “That will be a long time from now, though, so don’t worry your processor over it.” He smiled, dropping a kiss on the same horn, “Now, how far along are you on that datapad?”

Red Alert’s field brightened, washing over Breakdown, as a little pleased chirp left his vocalizer. “Finished it, and halfway through the second,” there was no mistaking the excitement in his tone. “So many glyphs. I want to learn them all. I think Inferno’ll be very proud of me...when he wakes up. Maybe it’s taking so much longer because he is a carrier too. Do you think so?” 

“Knock Out said he was not. Not all mechs are. I’m not. He just needs to grow and heal. He was just as behind as you were on upgrades. I would say more from what I’ve seen. He will wake-up when he is ready to, Little Red. Don’t worry so much.”

“Hard not to. Miss him so much,” Red Alert let out another sad little chirp, and curled closer to Breakdown. “It seems like he’s been gone forever.” 

“He’ll be up sooner than you realize,” Breakdown said, a little grin on his face. “Do you want to take a little break and come see your room?” 

Red Alert quivered against him, nervous energy bleeding into his field. “Di-did you talk to F-Firestar?”

Breakdown hopped off of the berth, pulling Red Alert with him, “I did. She is not going to give you any trouble. She understands that this is the better option.”

Red Alert chirped, letting himself be pulled along the hallway. He moved close to Breakdown, feeling uneasy at leaving Inferno alone. It was good to walk though. His joints were tight in ways he had not even realized. His balance, at least, had improved in the time since he had been decanted from the growth tank. He still did not feel comfortable in his plating. The ground seemed so far away.

Breakdown put a protective arm around him as they walked through the hallway. “I think you’ll like it. I hope you will like it.” The rooms were near the medbay, two halls over in fact. It was cozier than Firestar’s rooms. Smaller, and...homier.

A large vidscreen was surrounded by chairs and cushions in the mainroom. A food preparation area was off to one corner and a hall in the other. Breakdown lead him down the hall and through one of three doors. The room was a good size. Bunk-berths were built into one wall, and the door was open on one wall revealing a small private washrack. Two desks were against each other on the other side of the room with matching vidscreens and terminals. Everything was silver and a deep burgundy. He had a strong feeling that was Knock Out’s servo in this.

“This is---is for us? ‘Ferno and me?” he walked over to the bunk-berths, climbing up the ladder to peer at the top berth. It was piled with mesh pillows and mesh blankets. A cooling blanket was neatly folded at the foot. A rail on the side was high enough to keep him inside with even the worse of night terrors. There were shelves built into the wall, already filled with datapads and little treasures that he just KNEW Breakdown had found for him.

Inferno would still be close. Right below him, and that was comforting to know as well. He climbed down carefully, stopping, before flinging himself at Breakdown. “I love it. Thank you. Thank you. So much.”

 

Breakdown hugged him back, nuzzling his helm. “You are welcome, sprocket.”

Red Alert offlined his optics, relaxing. Finally, he felt safe here. “You make me feel safe. Thank you. I haven’t felt safe since...I don’t remember even. Before my brothers were offlined.”

“Ah, Little Red,” he hugged the small mech close. “You know I like having you around. I love having you around in fact.”

“I wish my creators’d been like you,” Red Alert let out a little chirp. No one had ever wanted him before, but Inferno. He held onto Breakdown more tightly, hiding his faceplates against the larger mech’s chestplates.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

“They are in the medbay now,” Flareup said, talking animatedly to her sister, Flamewar.

The older femme feigned boredom, as her sister prattled away. They were little enough alike. Flarup had embraced the life they had been forced into. 

“We thought they were going to live with us, but Firestar said she just didn’t think it was going to work out. Red Alert was just too stressed by the situation. It’s sad. Firestar said his brothers were killed by Vortex. At least that is what he says. Can you imagine? That monster, he is so...scary. And Red Alert is terrified of him. And you know what else? They had to rush him over to the medbay because he got sick, like I said all stressed out. I think I cause it, so I feel so horrendously bad about it. He was in the tank for such a very long time. Breakdown said it was because he is a carrier and the upgrades are taking so very long.” She stopped, and frowned, “Are you listening to me, Flame?”

The orange and blue femme rolled her optics, a calculating look inching over her face, “Yeah, I heard you. You said he is a carrier? That is---unusual.”

“It is, isn’t it?” Flamewar’s lips curled up into an amused smile. She tucked that information away knowing that a certain Rotarymech would pay, and pay well for it. “Who were his brothers?” 

“I’m not sure. I never asked, maybe I should have,” Flareup said, optics widening.

“Probably not,” Flamewar said, optics half-lidded. Her sister was so clueless. “If he is as traumatised as you say, it might just make things worse, right?” Her processor was already racing. She would need to get his file from the medbay, and an image capture. Vortex was always interested in mechs that would fetch a high price, and snatching one right from under Prowl’s olfactory sensors would amuse him even more.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

The fifth solar cycle passed slowly. Red Alert was curled up on the berth beside the tank when he noticed movement in the tank. He was already prying open the lid by the time the alarm went off warning Knock Out that the mech was coming out of stasis.

Red Alert clung to the side, nearly falling into the tank in his haste to help the larger mech out. “‘Ferno. I never thought you were gonna to wake-up.” He tipped over, landing on the larger mech before Knock Out could pull him away from the edge.

“Runt. What are you doing?” Knock Out asked as he watched them from the edge of the tank. Both younglings were dripping nutrient goo. He hit the valve to drain the tank and gave the smaller red youngling---his youngling he had decided in the days before---a scathing look. “We’ve spoke of making messes in here.” 

Red Alert let go of the still-stunned-Inferno, and gave the medic a sheepish look. “You have. I’ll help him get cleaned up,” he said, serious for a matter of moment before he pounced on Inferno again. “I’m so glad you are awake.”

Inferno hugged him back, “I’m---I’m glad to be online too. Slag, Red, you are so much...bigger.”

“So’re you,” Red Alert said, flinging his arms around Inferno’s neck. Goo was flung out, splattering on the floor, and across Knock Out’s plating. It earned Inferno a scathing look.

Red Alert just grinned sheepishly as Inferno helped him climb out of the tank. Inferno followed, with much less grace, hanging on the side as he tried to get his balance.

Breakdown eventually came and herded both younglings to the washrack, his optics fixed on Inferno. He pushed them both under the solvent.

Red grabbed a sponge, and helped Inferno clean himself up before working on his own plating. He glanced over at Breakdown who had finally stepped under the spray and was working on Inferno’s plating in silence. The blue mech’s field felt bristly.

“I’m so glad you are up, ‘Ferno. I was so worried. I missed you so very, very much. Breakdown talked to Firestar and we don’t have to stay with her, because we’ve rooms in Breakdown’s quarters, and we’ve bunkberths, and desks. It’s---It’s amazing,” Red Alert said, nearly jumping in place.

Inferno took it in with wide optics, casting a darting glance at Breakdown. “Oh, really?” 

“I’m learning to read. I can read some, and I have learning datapads to share with you,” Red said enthusiastically, finally wringing a smile from Breakdown.

“He is very bright, and learns fast. Don’t ya, runt?” Breakdown laughed, as he finally lead the younglings to the dryer. “Knock Out thinks he would make a good apprentice medic, eventually...if that is what he wants.”

Inferno listened with wide optics. “I...I..wow. I’ve missed a lot haven’t I?”

Red Alert leaned into him. “You have, but I’m sure we’ll make up for it. I really missed you, ‘Ferno. I was so scared you weren’t comm’in back to me.” 

Inferno pressed their helms together. “You know...I’ll always come back to you. I love you, Red.”

Breakdown growled, “Runt, you promised to clean up your mess.”

Red Alert let out a chirp, backing away from Inferno. “I did. I’m sorry.”

“Right. Remember what we talked about. You are too young for...that. As for you, Inferno. Knock Out is waiting to look you over. Better not leave him waiting.”

Inferno frowned, “Too young for what? I don’t understand.”

Breakdown growled again. “Just go to Knock Out.”

“Oh, okay. Maybe he can tell me why I keep being pinged by...um...’Interface Protocols’,” Inferno said as he wandered back towards the medbay.

“I’m sure he will,” Breakdown smirked.

Red Alert watched Inferno go, and inched closer to Breakdown. “How’d you--um---know that Knock Out was t-t-the one?”

Breakdown frowned, and cast a sideways glance at Red Alert. It broke his spark. The kid was way too young for this. “I just knew,” Breakdown shrugged. “Convincing him was the hard part.”

Red Alert’s optics widened, “Really? I can’t imagine you to not being...well...together.”

Breakdown only snorted, “KO can be really hard helmed about some things. Just trust me on that, sprocket.”

“Yeah, I guess I can see that,” he squirmed under Breakdown’s regard. “I can’t imagine not being with ‘Ferno. I would’ve be offlined without him. I know I would’ve starved to offlining on the streets...or worse. When he was in the tank it just made it even more clear to me. I---” he shivered, curling into the crook of Breakdown’s arm when the older bot hugged him. “I felt like I was drifting away without him there to hold me here.”

“Ah, Runt,” Breakdown vented softly.

“I know. I’m too young. But I’m not, I’m really...not,” he looked back up at Breakdown, his optics haunted. “When he’s gone it is like I’m missing parts of me. It’s unbearable.”

“I guess it is a good thing he is back then,” Breakdown said, unable to hide the worried look that passed across his faceplates.


	5. Duplicity

_Part Five:_

Flamewar pulled the files out of her subspace as she walked down into the bunker below the ruins of one of the estates on the edge of Praxus. She was not sure who had held the land, nor did she care. It was one of Vortex’s hideouts, the one he was currently using anyway. The ruined walls rose up high around her as she moved to the entrance, and finally went below. The guard at the entrance glared at her, she only smiled back.

The halls were dimly lit, but she knew the way well enough, and knew where Vortex would be waiting. His visor lit up the time room from where he lounged on a long cushioned bench. He optics flitted to the berth on the other side of the room, and was not surprised to see a grey shell still sprawled across the surface. 

“You should clean up your messes,” She rolled her optics and shoved the datapad at him. “I thought you might be interested in this one. They brought in a carrier. He just got his last upgrade before his final frame. Red Alert. They actually brought in a second youngling too...and that carrier that Smokescreen brought in. But the other carrier would be watched too well. I think Smokescreen is going to bond with him, if he has not already,” a look of disgust crossed her faceplates.

Vortex frowned, he knew that name, but that mech was dead. At least he was supposed to be. He turned on the datapad, and went through the information, a smile inching onto his faceplates. “I know this mechling. Had I known he was a carrier I wouldn’t have let him slip through my grasp so easily. Slag, he turned into a pretty little thing.” 

“I think you could get a fair price for him. He has a minor glitch, but Knock Out was able to mostly fix it, and it’s not something that he would pass on anyway,” Flamewar said, her gaze calculating.

“I’m sure. You’ll still get your ten percent when I sell him. Maybe before if I end up using him. A few hybrids would be useful.”

“I don’t care what you do with him, provided I get paid,” she sneered. “Keep him for all I care.” Her optics flicked back to the offlined frame. Vortex’s lovers rarely survived for a second round anyway. That knowledge had always made her keep the mech at a distance.

“Fine,” Vortex lips curled into a smile. “I know exactly what you can do to lure him away. You are gonna to tell him that you know his brothers, they’re alive and you will take him to them.”

“What?” Flamewar asked, confused. 

“His brothers are Sideswipe and Sunstreaker. They were once in my possession. He must still think they are dead, otherwise he would have run to them first thing.” His smile grew, “This is perfect, I can get all of my property back this way. A carrier and my twins as well. What a coup. And the fact that it will all be under Prowl’s olfactory sensors? It’s the icing on the crystal cake.” 

She watched him gloat and could not help but laugh herself.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

Prowl watched the twins as they shifted in their seats. He looked around the room, stalling. He had only been in Perceptor’s home a servoful of times. “Your home is beautiful,” he commented, looking anywhere but at them.

“You didn’t come here to chat about the state of our dwelling,” Sideswipe snapped. “You’ve fed us enough rumours, don’t you think? I can’t stand to hear what your little spies say, Prowl. If I hear one more time that he was possibly sold as a breederbot, or to a chopshop...to Hook. I am going to rip you apart.”

Prowl cleared his intake. “The last was true. He was sold to Hook.” 

“So he’s dead then?” Sunstreaker shook. There had been rumours about that mech for too long. The very idea that their brother had spent his last kliks---Sunstreaker could not bear to think about it.

“No,” Prowl said, “He is safe and in my care.” 

“What?” Sunstreaker roared, shooting up from his seat. “Where is he? Bring me to him, now.”

“I don’t think that would be wise. He is...fragile. He grew up running the streets. He is skittish. Most of all he believes the both of you are...offlined. Vortex told him you were killed in the ring, torn apart. He has...mostly come to accept it. I am not entirely sure it would be wise to tell him differently...yet.” 

“How can it not be wise,” Sideswipe snapped. “He is our brother. He should be in our care. It is where he belongs.” 

“You have to give him to us Now,” Sunstreaker said, rising from his seat, and pacing like an angry cybercat. “You can’t keep him from us.”

“You do not understand. He is not well. He is getting better. Knock Out is working on correcting the glitch, but it will take time,” Prowl said. “You were aware of his glitch?” 

“He...onlined with it,” Sunstreaker said, “Our carrier had issues when carrying him, I guess.” 

“It has gotten worse, I expect. He was stuck in a sparkling frame so long without the upgrade he should have received. As I said, Knock Out has made some progress, but it is part of his core coding. It is not something that is easy to repair.” He pulled a datapad from his subspace, and watched the twins as they went through the image captures. “The first dozen are when we first brought him in.” 

“Who is the other youngling?” Sunstreaker growled, not liking how Red Alert seemed to cling to the larger sparkling in the images.

“Inferno. He kept Red Alert online while they were on the streets. He is a good spark,” Prowl said in defense of the youngling in question. “You’re brother is very...attached to him.”

Sunstreaker flipped through the captures, and finally gasped. “Is---is this after his upgrade? He’s beautiful.”

“He is,” Prowl agreed. “He is a very sweet youngling despite what he has been through, and---he has been through a lot.”

“Even more reason for him to be with us,” Sunstreaker said, “We are his family. He needs us.”

Prowl shook his helm, “I cannot allow it yet. I do have his best interests at spark. Please trust me in this.”

“We have no reason to trust you at all, much less where our brother is concerned,” Sideswipe bristled, his armour puffing out in a clear sign of aggression. “You have no right to do this.”

“You forget yourself. I have every right to do this,” Prowl said, not rising to the bait. His tone remained even and calm as it always did. “Praxus is mine, and all in it. You will obey or you will leave.”

Sunstreaker grunted, they could hardly afford to be forced out. “He is our brother.”

“That may well be, but you will not be welcome in my home until he is pronounced ready to see you. Now is not that time,” Prowl said, his words having the ring of finality.

The twins exchanged looks, both of their shoulders slumping in defeat. There was no reasoning with the mech.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

Flamewar sidled over to the small red mech. “Flareup said you didn’t want her help studying. I thought I might help you instead.”

Red Alert frowned at the femme. He had thrown a fit when he realized that Flareup had volunteered to help Inferno learn to read. It had been mostly ignored, sending him into a sulk that had lasted several sols. He hated that femme and did not want her anywhere near his Inferno. No one listened to him though. Breakdown had even gone so far as to scold him for his bad behavior, and then Breakdown had punished him. No amount of coolant tears had dissuaded the mech. He was not allowed to be with Inferno until he changed his attitude.

“I don’t like her. She’s taken Inferno away from me. Breakdown said he needs more friends than just me, and I hate her,” his lip quivered, the tears that wanted to overflow were barely kept in check. “I hope something bad happens to her.”

“Not a very nice thing to say, little bot, but I do understand what you mean. They aren’t being very nice to you here,” the blue and orange femme purred. “But they are right. You both need other friends. And I think...your brothers would treat you much better.” 

Red Alert stiffened, “T-they’re offline. Please don’t---”

Flamewar feigned surprise, “But they aren’t. Have they kept that from you as well? Poor little spark. It’s cruel of them to keep you away from them.” 

“W-w-what?” Red Alert shook.

“They have been looking for you for so long. Both of them. Sideswipe and Sunstreaker. They ran away because they thought you were offlined. They both miss you so much,” she leaned in, hugging him close. “It’s cruel of them to keep you a part, but Prowl’s bots are selfish like that. They probably want to keep you around because you are a carrier. I’ve seen them do that before.”

Red shook, his optics going wide, “I knew it was too good to be true.” 

“We should get you out of here before it’s too late. They’ve bred other bots until their sparks snuff out. I’d hate to see that happen to such a sweet mech like you,” Flamewar said, an artful frown marring her faceplates.

“What about Inferno? I can’t leave him here.”

“Oh, sweetspark, he’s been helping them all along. Do you really want someone like him knowing where you are going?” she pressed on, knowing he was going to take the bait.

“B-but he loves me,” Red Alert trembled, not wanting to believe what he was hearing. 

“He’s not with you though, now is he? He chose Flareup over you,” she said, her tone smug.

“You’re right. He did choose her. H-he c-could’ve stayed with me, but he didn’t,” a whimper escaped his vocalizer. “He doesn’t care about me, does he?” 

Flamewar leaned in, her smile his against Red Alert’s vocalizer. “Not even a little bit.”

The whimper grew louder, “You know where my brothers are?” 

Flamewar’s smile grew, “I do. Do you want me to take you to them?” 

“Could you? Please? I miss them so much,” Red Alert said, letting himself be pulled along as the femme rose to her feet. “I’d rather be with them. If...they want me.”

“Oh, they do. They really do,” she said, pulling him along, and out into the hallway. “I have a secret way to leave so they won’t follow us. But you have to be quiet.” 

Red Alert’s optics widened, “I will be. I promise.”

She held onto his hand tightly, leading him through the hall and to what appeared to be a dead end. She pressed one of the side panels and the wall swung away, revealing a dark tunnel.

“Where does this go?” he asked as she pushed him inside. The wall shut, leaving them in darkness. A shiver went through Red Alert’s plating. He had never liked the dark.

“It leads out to the market on the edge of the city. Your brothers are living in some ruins at the city’s edge. It’s a safe place, you’ll see.” She took his hand, leading him through the dim tunnel. The only lighting was their optics. It left Red Alert fumbling and clinging to the femme. 

The tunnel stretched out for what seemed like a hundred mechanomiles. They walked through the dark until Red Alert feared it would never end. He knew they had reached the city’s edge, or close to it. He was going to ask Flamewar about it when the tunnel finally opened up, a smelting pit in the middle. Red Alert flinched, it took him several kliks to realize what the piles of grey metal off to the side were. A scream rolled out of his vocalizer, and he scrambled away from the femme, or at least tried to. Her grip tightened around his wrist and she jerked him across the room, past the offlined frames with their sightless optics, past the pit with its rolling, molten metal.

“Stop being such a sparkling,” she snapped. “They aren’t going to hurt you.”

Red Alert shook, “Why’re they here, I don’t understand.”

The femme frowned, looking ahead, “Slag if I know. Let’s go, we are going to be late. They are waiting, remember.”

“They are,” Red said softly, letting himself be pulled across the wide cavern and through the smaller tunnel on the other side. “You sure?”

“Of course I’m sure,” she snapped. She picked up the pace, hurrying him through the tunnel. “You don’t want to keep Sunstreaker waiting, you know how bad his temper is.”

“He would be mad,” Red Alert agreed with a little whimper. “Sides always calms him down though. It’ll be okay. Right?”

“I’m sure,” she agreed, still hurrying him along. The tunnel’s end loomed ahead, leaving them in an abandoned area. It was surrounded by outcroppings, and the ruins that Flamewar spoke of loomed ahead.

“They live here?” Red Alert asked doubtfully. 

“Below. There are tunnels beneath it, like Prowl’s citadel...but not as large,” she said as she ushered him towards the ruins in question.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

Vortex watched from the monitor room as the pair walked towards the tunnel entrance on the edge of the tunnels. His engine purred loudly as he watched the lanky youngling pull away from Flamewar, his excitement clear in his posture. Had he known this was what the little mechling would have grown into he never would have let him go.

“Is this the one?” Pharma asked from behind him, optics fixed on the monitor. “Will you be taking him to the medbay first?” the medics optics narrowed, calculating.

“I don’t think that is any of your concern, Pharma,” Vortex rumbled, not looking away. “I will take him there when I take him there. Maybe I want a sample BEFORE I have his protocols turned on.”

“A sample. Right. How many of your ’samples’ end up in the smelting pit? It would be a waste of a carrier,” Vortex ignored Pharma’s arrogant tone, as he always did.

“I can be careful, when I want to. If I have reason to be,” he leered. “And...I’ve reason to be this time. Don’t worry, I will bring him to you.”

The medic snorted, “Whatever, just don’t give me extra work. Too much trauma and it won’t matter if his protocols are up or not.”

Vortex chuckled, “I’ll keep that in processor.” He rose, crossing the room, and walked to the agreed meeting point. He stood in the shadows watching as Red Alert came running into the cavern.

“Sunny? Sides?” I’m here.” He stood in the middle of the cavern frowning when there was no answer, and no sign of either twin. He turned his back to where Vortex was hiding, “Where’re they? You said they’d be here.”

(Art by [Dellessanna](http://dellessanna.deviantart.com/))

The femme looked past him, watching Vortex come out from where he was hiding. He moved across the space, silently. “Clearly, she lied to you.”

Vortex watched as Red Alert stiffened, shoulders hunching. The youngling still recognized his voice, and the terror on that face when the mech finally turned to face him was beautiful. Vortex took an image capture, filing it away for later.

The mechling froze, staring with wide optics up at Vortex, before he turned on heel and tried to run for it. He got all of three steps away before Vortex grabbed him, his engine revving. The little mech turned on him growling like a cornered cybercat, blunt fingers tried to rip into warrior grade armor. They only succeeded in scrapping away chromo receptors.

“No, no. Let go of me,” Red Alert screamed, his voice rising in pitch as Vortex lifted him off the ground.

“Not happy to see me at all,” Vortex purred, ignoring Red Alert’s struggle as he pulled the mech close and nuzzled into his neck cording.

“He doesn’t look at all happy for this little reunion,” Flamewar said blandly. “I believe you owe me some credits.”

“Go see Swin, he will settle up the debt, I have...more important things to do at the moment,” he leered at her over Red Alert’s shoulder pauldron.

Flamewar vented already heading towards the entrance. Vortex was not sorry to see her go. As much as he liked putting on a good show, now was not the time.

Red Alert still struggled against him, and made the most delightful noises. He stiffened when Vortex’s fangs brushed up against the energon lines in his neck, another audial piercing scream left his vocalizer when they sank in. Sweet energon filled Vortex’s mouth, leaving him purring loudly. He barely took a mouthful before he pulled away. Red Alert went limp in his arms. Offlining from the shock, Vortex did not doubt. 

Vortex carried him back through the hallway and towards the infirmary where Pharma was waiting. The youngling was still limp in his arms when they reached the medbay.

“I thought you were going to have your fun with him first,” Pharma said, raising an optical ridge as Vortex laid the young mech on the nearest medberth.

Vortex took a step away, “All I needed was a sip, he is the sweetest tasting mech I’ve ever had. Something to be savoured,” he grinned, fangs peaking out. His optics raked over the little mech, “And not something I care to share. Check him over. Make sure the information that Flamewar collected was correct, and I want the locks on his interface panel changed, keyed only to myself. Take out his permissions, and cap his spike. It would take too long to remove it now.”

“Right,” Pharma hummed, cuffing his patient’s hands above his head before he jacked in the medical pad. “The glitch is not something he would pass on to his offspring, the information she gathered is correct. I’ve initiated his reproduction protocols. It will take two or three orns before they have stabilized and integrated completely. Interface protocols were already active, but he is...still sealed.”

“Good, now hurry up. I don’t have all sol to wait around for you to finish,” Vortex snapped.

Pharma sneered, “In a hurry?”

“I’m ready to claim what’s mine,” he smirked, optics fixed on Red Alert faceplates.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

Inferno was shaking by the time he ran into the medbay, “Breakdown, I can’t find him. I’ve looked everywhere. I can’t find him.”

Breakdown looked up from where he had been organizing one of the storage cabinets and frowned. “He’s with Flamewar, isn’t he? I’m sure he’s fine.”

“No, she’s gone. Flareup said her possessions were missing from their room, and...I don’t know. I think she took him,” Inferno said angrily, his voice rising. “Someone has him. I know it. He’s in trouble. We have to go save him, Breakdown.”

“Calm down, bitlet. Panicking is not going to help anyone. Now, Flareup said that Flamewar is missing too? She was the last one with Runt?” Breakdown said calmly, putting an arm around the youngling’s shoulders.

Inferno shook his head, field flaring out and full of distress. “She’s hurt him. I know she has. He would never leave on his own, not without one of us. You know how scared he is of being alone and---and going out there.” 

“I know exactly how he is,” Breakdown said, unable to hide his own worry. “I will go talk to Barricade and have him organize a search through the citadel. Then...we’ll take it from there.” 

Inferno nodded, optics bright with fear.

“Stay here, bitlet. Okay? I will be right back,” Breakdown left Inferno could tell he was already on his comm before he left the room.

Several breems came and went before Breakdown finally came back, along with another mech that Inferno did not know. He looked the mech up and down unsure what to think of him. He had the look of Barricade about him, but then, so did a lot of the mech’s here.

“Inferno, this is Streetwise. You are going to be paired up with him for the search,” Breakdown said when they were in speaking distance.

Inferno hopped off of the medical berth he had been sitting on. “I can help? Really?”

“We’re going to head over to the old tunnels then, to make sure he didn’t wander off in there,” Streetwise said as he led Inferno out of the medbay and into the hall. “It’s happened a few times. So hopefully we will find your friend safe and sound.”

“I hope so,” Inferno huffed. “If that femme did something to him...I don’t even know what I am going to do.”

“You care for him very much?” Streetwise asked.

“More than anything,” Inferno shivered. “What do you do, anyway?” he asked, looking the mech over, noting the visible weapons systems.

“I work for the defense force, under Barricade. It is our job to keep the bots who live here safe,” Streetwise said patiently.

Inferno’s optics widened. “Oh. Maybe that is what I should do then. I need to keep Red safe, always. I’ve failed this time though. He’s probably scared somewhere.” His shoulders hunched. “I’m...scared for him.”

“It’s always hard when it is the ones we love,” Streetwise frowned.

“It is,” Inferno agree mournfully. He followed Streetwise down a hall he had never been into before, and then through an doorway to the tunnels beyond. He prayed to Primus as he had never prayed before that they would find Red Alert safe somewhere.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

Red Alert came out of stasis feeling as though he had been through the worse of glitching attacks. Every part of him felt heavy and sluggish. The berth beneath him felt wrong, and the lighting was not quite right. That more than anything snapped him from his stupor. Everything came flooding back to him with alarming clarity.

He tried to sit up, only to realise that his arms were cuffed to the end of the berth. There was little give in the chains, not enough to let him sit up. He struggled against them until he fell back against the berth, exhausted.

“By all means, do continue,” a voice to his left purred. Red Alert had not even realized that Vortex had been sitting there watching him the whole time.

Red Alert pulled on the chains, a whimper escaped his vocalizer. “Leave me alone. You can’t do this, s-someone’ll come after me. Inferno’ll find me.”

Vortex laughed as he moved to sit on the edge of the berth. “No they won’t, pet. They don’t even know where you are.” His engine revved as he reached out and ran a claw down Red Alert’s chassis, traced a claw along the glyphs that ran along the armour. The medic must have changed his plating. He had not noticed before how thin and delicate it was, any touch echoed straight to his protoform. He might as well had no plating at all. He had seen enough prostibots wearing armour like this as they walked the streets.

Red Alert knew those glyphs. They were of belonging, and Vortex’s personal glyphs as well. They weren’t something he wanted branded across his person.

“No, little bot. No one is coming for you. You were in such a hurry to find your lost brothers you did not tell a spark where you were going,” Vortex’s lips curled into a horrible smile, “and now---now you are mine. Forever.” His claws skittered across Red Alert’s plating to settle over his gestation tank. “You’ll bear my heirs.”

“Never,” Red Alert whispered, his voice choked in fear.

“Never is a long time, little mech,” The Rotarymech’s mask and visor snapped open, “and you don’t have the will to fight me that long.” 

Red Alert found himself in the thrall of that golden opticed gaze, unable to move even as lip brushed his own, and then crushed them. Energon flowed when Vortex’s fangs broke through the softer plating of Red Alert’s lips. The whimper that Red Alert made was entirely swallowed by Vortex’s mouth as the larger mech plundered Red Alert’s. His glossa explored every inch forcefully, leaving Red Alert shaking as he pulled away.

Vortex laughed, his glossa flicked over his lips sweeping away Red Alert’s energon. “Delicious. Had I realized...” Laughter burst from his lips again. “I would’ve made you mine long ago. Carriers are hard enough to come by, and one as beautiful as you turned out to be...even more rare,” he leered.

Red Alert whined, offlined his optics, and forced himself to sink down into his own memories. They were a far cry better than the present. His thoughts turned to the last night he had stayed with Inferno, curled up safe in the lower bunk. Inferno always let him tuck himself against the wall. It was a safe place, which he was ripped away from as he felt a foreign presence in his processor, and a jack violently shoved into his medical port. Red Alert screamed, and arched against the bonds.

He could feel Vortex tearing through his systems, the mech’s field overwhelming him. There was no comfort in it, just pain from Red Alert, and lust from Vortex. It was a relief when the mech pulled out of Red Alert’s system. “You will stay with me,” Vortex glared. “Try that again and I will rip the memory files from you. I would be just as happy to reformat you than keep you as you are. Remember that little bot.”

Red Alert sagged against the bonds, terrified of that prospect. “Pl-please don’t. Please. I’ll do anything.”

Vortex revved loudly, climbing across the berth. “Maybe I’ll have the medic tweak your coding to make you want the pain. Make you beg for it.”

Red Alert vented softly, too scared to move as Vortex arranged him the way he wanted, legs spread wide on either side of the Rotarymech. It was not a comfortable position, and made the tension-cording in his legs ache.

“Maybe I’ll get you a collar that keeps you from overloading, and use you until you are screaming,” Vortex hummed, chuckling in amusement at the way Red Alert tried to wiggle away. He reached down, palming Red Alert’s interface panel. It snapped open, wringing a whimper out of the little, red mech.

Red Alert felt like his spark was going to spin right out of his chest. Terror rang through his field, which pulsed out beyond his control.

Vortex’s presence pulsed across the hardline, filling Red Alert with a renewed sense of terror. He was pushed back into his memories, the Rotary mech’s presence following his. Images of Red Alert hurting Inferno filled his processor.

_Things that had never happened, and things Red Alert would never in a million years do to Inferno. Vortex drained Inferno in the vision while Red Alert looked on, arousal blooming through his system as he watched, moving closer he bit into Inferno’s arm, taking long drags of energon until the mech was limp between them. They fell to the ground together, heedless of the grey husk beside them._

_The scene changed to the gladiatorial ring. His brothers were standing in the center, offlined frames around them and energon spattering their own frames. He found himself walking to them, knowing somehow that they would drain him dry, and not caring. They fell on him, tearing into his neckcording, drinking too much. Far too much. He felt his spark  
guttering._

The lust that rushed through his system was what snapped him from the visions Vortex has implanted. The desire that followed on it’s heels left him feeling weak. He knew it was Vortex’s, but he was not able to stand against it. It rippled through his system leaving his spinal strut bowing against the restraints.

He panted, unseeing and unaware as Vortex’s panel clicked open, spike fully pressurized as soon as it was free. Vortex lined it up, pushing in until it pressed against the seal, then snapped his hips forward, breaking through. Red Alert stiffened beneath him, a scream ripping through his vocalizer as his callipers suddenly tried to adjust to the girth filling him, and the pain that followed.

Vortex hitched Red Alert’s legs up, hooking his arms under his knees. He rocked forward, pulling almost completely out before rocking back in. Red Alert cried out beneath him, pain and pleasure intermingling until he was not sure where one ended and the other began.

“That’s it,” Vortex purred, pushing his own pleasure back through the hardline until Red Alert’s valve was fluttering and clenching around his spike. He never stopped moving as Red Alert’s body clenched and spasmed through the overload. If anything his pace quickened, spike hitting already over-sensitised nodes. As soon as the charge dispersed it began to build again, pain heightening the pleasure. Red Alert rolled his hips, meeting each thrust without realizing what he was doing, until his valve clamped down, squeezing Vortex’s spike and tripping the mech into overload.

Vortex roared above him, claws biting into Red Alert’s armour, tearing furrows in his hip plating. Transfluid gushed through Red Alert’s battered valve, drawing out the overload. Pressure built against the opening of Red Alert’s gestational chamber until it opened, and filled.

Red Alert was knocked offline, falling limply back against the berth. He didn’t stir as Vortex climbed off of him, or when the Rotary mech released the bonds and called for a drone to clean up the mess.

Pharma was patching up the wounds on Red Alert’s hips when the mech finally booted back online. He felt like slag. Worse than slag. Vortex was close enough that his field washed over Red Alert, he didn’t have to see the mech’s faceplates to know he was smirking, and expectant. He could not hide his panic as the medic rose, and moved to leave him alone with the monster once more.

Red Alert tried to scramble away, but only became tangled in the cleaned meshes that had been covering him up. He cried out when Vortex lunged, grabbing a leg and pulling him back across the berth and rumbled in threat. “I thought we had an understanding, little one.”

Red Alert stiffened, “We did.” He shivered, offlining his optics when Votex put a hand in the middle of his back, pushing his chest against the berth. His spark fluttered in terror, knowing the pain would begin all over again.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

Prowl was in a rage. A feeling that he rarely felt, but one that had been connected to the twins more than once. He stormed through Perceptor’s estate, heedless of the red mech at his heels. He did not stop until he had found the twins lounging in the library. “Where is he? I know you took him. I specifically ordered you to stay away. Is it so very hard to follow an order from your ruler?”

Sideswipe sat up from where he was lounging and frowned at the Praxian. “What the frack are you talking about?”

Sunstreaker vented air, “What? Did Bluestreak get tired of you already and run away? I can guarantee he isn’t here, as much as i wish otherwise.”

Prowl hissed, optics flaring red. “I was not speaking of my---of Bluestreak. I am speaking of your brother. Where is he?”

Sunstreaker’s armor puffed out, in a threat display. “You promised you would keep him safe. You mean to tell me he is missing?”

“Red’s gone? What the slag, Prowl,” Sideswipe yelled, jumping up.

Prowl deflated, his doorwings flickering with dismay. “I had been hoping...” 

“We don’t know where he is,” Sunstreaker said, a frown pressing across his face. “What happened?”

“He was last seen with one of Firestar’s apprentices, Flamewar. She has disappeared as well. We have yet to locate her, unfortunately. I was hoping she had taken him to you,” Prowl said, doorwings drooped. Only to flare at the commotion he heard in the hallway.

Bluestreak burst into the room, followed closely by Barricade who was trying to grab at the smaller Praxian. “Prowl, Prowl. They found her. They tried to stop you but you had already left and I was so worried you wouldn’t come back soon. Streetwise found her in the market and she was spending all kinds of credits and I was talking to Mirage and HE is so upset about it. Red wasn’t with her.” The little Praxian opened his mouth to say more, but Barricade clamped a hand over it, stopping the stream of words.

“They are interrogating her now. You should come home, Prowl,” Barricade said, his optics flicking over to the Twins, who were both listening with rapt attention.

“We’ll be coming as well,” Sunstreaker said, optics fixed on Bluestreak. “We’d like to...talk to this femme.”

“I’m sure you would,” Barricade said, pulling Bluestreak along as he headed for the doorway. He knew that look in Prowl’s optics. A fit of temper was nearly eminent, but the cauldron had not completely boiled over yet.

Prowl moved, far faster than a normal cybertronian would, and extracted Bluestreak from his brother’s grip. A growl rumbled from his chassis, making the other mechs take a step back. His optics drifted over to the twins, “You may accompany us.”

Sunstreaker and Sideswipe did not need another word of encouragement, they followed Prowl out at a safe distance. “Is he always this disagreeable?” Sideswipe asked as they kept pace with Barricade.

Barricade watched his brother striding far ahead, a proprietary arm around Bluestreak's waist. “No. Not always. Just where Blue is concerned. I don’t think the bitling gets it, honestly. I mean, the fragger gave up Soundwave for him. You would think that would count for something. He never gives up what he wants, it is not in his nature, and yet he would for that little Praxian.”

Sideswipe whistled, “He is a pretty hot-aft. I’d leave a host mech for him any day.”

Sunstreaker hissed, “Shut up, Sides. Just...shut up. We don’t need that kind of trouble now. Not with Red...” He shook his helm, armour clamping tight against his protoform.

“I’m just sayin---”

“And I am telling you to shut your vocalizer before I shut it for you. Stop it,” Sunstreaker hissed.

The argument was cut off as they reached the outside of Perceptor’s estate. Prowl transformed, herding Bluestreak in front of him and back towards the entrance to the citadel.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

Red Alert stared up at the ceiling, careful not to move. There was not a bit of him that did not throb or ache. He was just as tired of seeing the medic as he was of Vortex fragging him. The energon line in his arm still stung from the last shot the medic had given him. Supplements to prime him for sparking. He tried not to think too hard about that. He did not want to carry for the monster that still had him pinned to the berth. His valve clenched against the spike that was still spreading him wide. He knew it should have hurt, instead pleasure trickled up his spinal strut, forcing a moan from his vocalizer. That at least felt better. He had pleaded with Pharma to end it, he had refused, but he had taken all of the pain away. Or, at least changed it. Humiliating as it was, it was better than the alternative.

Vortex purred against his chassis, optics onlining and watching Red Alert with an amused expression. He rolled until Red Alert was on top, the angle scraped the ridges of Vortex’s spike against the outer wall of Red Alert’s valve. It raked against the nodes, sending charge crackling across them.

Red Alert panted as Vortex grabbed his hips, setting a slow rhythm that set the smaller mech on edge. “I have a surprise for you,” Vortex rumbled, circling his hips and plunging in deep before holding the mech in his lap still.

Red Alert whimpered, squirmed and tried to move. If it was from the overly sharp claws digging into his hips, from the feeling of being stretched too wide, or from the fluid locked inside of him he did not know. Pleasure bloomed and then something shifted inside. He tensed, waiting. 

“Wait for it.” Vortex purred.

Something unfurled, sharp edges scraping against Red Alert’s valve walls. “Oh, dear Primus,” he cried out.

“Mmmm...he had very little to do with it, I’m sure,” Vortex thrust up, sending Red Alert screaming.

Red Alert ventilations stuttered, “W-what...” 

“Retractable spurs,” Vortex said, pulling the little mech close, and rolling him over onto his back. The spines dug in, scraping against the walls until Red’s valve clenched and spasmed, sending both of them tumbling into overload.

Red Alert was not sure how long it took for him to boot up again, his processor felt muddled. Heavy. All the recriminations came back to him. Inferno would never want him again even if he was freed. He was dirty. Defiled. It also...felt so good, and not right at the same time. It was too sharp edged, and overwhelming. He vented softly. Vortex had fallen into recharge with Red Alert clutched to his chest.

Cleansing fluid tried to pool into his optics. He cycled them until his vision cleared. Tears weren’t going to do him any good or free him from this prison. He tried his hardest not to think of Inferno since it made his spark ache in its casing. He had always hoped that bot would be his first. Now his seals were gone, and his spark was soon to follow. It was only a matter of time.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

Inferno paced in front of the cell they had taken the femme to. He had never been this far down into the citadel’s depths, had never even known something like this was down here. The interrogation cells lined the hallway, mostly empty from what he could discern.

“What are you doing here?” Prowl snarled as he stormed down the hall.

Inferno shrunk away from him. “Let me talk to her. I need to know what she did to Red. He NEEDS me.”

Prowl’s visage softened, “We will find out what has happened, bitlet. Do not worry on that account.” 

Inferno shook his head, a whining noise escaping his vocalizer. “I’m supposed to protect him.”

The gold and red mechs that had been following Prowl both growled, leveling red gazes at Inferno. “It’s none of your business what happens to Red Alert. He is not yours,” the gold one said.

“You don’t know what you’re talking about. I love Red and he loves me. He’s mine, and I am his,” Inferno shot back.

“We’re his brothers,” the red mech bit back, a growl in his tone.

Inferno’s engine rumbled, “You are Sideswipe and Sunstreaker then. He thinks you are dead and you abandoned him. You can’t have him. He’s mine. **MINE**. I kept him safe when you left him for dead. You---you monsters.” 

Sunstreaker growled, and would have lunged had Barricade not barred his way. “None of that. He is a bitlet, you glitch. If it was not for him your brother **WOULD** have been offlined a long time ago.”

Whatever Sunstreaker would have said was interrupted by Smokescreen stepping out of the cell. “She won’t speak. Streetwise found her in the market spending a large amount of credits. One of the merchants tipped him off. What a fracking mess.” 

“See, I was right. I told you she sold him to someone. We need to find out who it is, and make them pay,” Inferno said, voice rising.

“Whom. We need to find out **WHOM** it is, rest assured we will, mechlet,” Prowl said, his tone devoid of emotion.

Inferno shook, glancing between the Praxians and the twins. “You keep saying that, but he’s still missing.”

“Have patience,” Prowl said.

“How can any of us have patience when Red is missing?” Sunstreaker said, “Why don’t you let me talk to her.” He smiled, lips curling, and optics flashing maliciously.

“Killing her isn’t going to get the information from her,” Prowl said, opening the door and motioning for Barricade to enter. Inferno dashed between them, flinging himself at the femme strung up in the middle of the room.

“Where is he, tell us where he is,” he screeched, fists flying. “Whereishewherishewhereishe,” he screamed, even as Barricade pulled him away from the femme, nearly getting punched in the process.

“Shhhhh....we’ll find out what happened, bitlet, I promise you,” Barricade’s optics flitted over the femme’s faceplates. He pushed Inferno towards Prowl, who took a hold of the mechling. “Don’t worry,” he hummed as he moved towards the cabinet that was pushed against the far wall.

Flamewar whimpered, struggling against the bonds that held her arms bound to the ceiling.

Barricade ignored her entirely as he shifted through the cabinet’s contents and began to lay out the tools of his trade on the table near where Flamewar was strung up. He started with the whips, laying them out one by one, lovingly. He smiled as he noticed Flamewar’s rapt attention. “Don’t worry, we will begin soon enough.”

Flamewar panted, “Let me go. You can’t do this.” 

“He can, and he will,” Prowl growled from the other side of the room, he still held on tightly to Inferno. “Perhaps you should start with the arc welder, brother. Cut her armour off a piece at a time.”

Barricade laughed, “Perhaps.” He picked up a laser scalpel, “Or maybe something that would even hurt more than that. Perhaps I should give this to the twins, I’m sure they would...have fun with it.”

Flamewar moaned, “You are monsters. I didn’t do anything. I don’t even know what you---you are accusing me of.” 

“Liar. You are a liar,” Inferno snapped, pulling against Prowl’s hold on him. “I will kill you if Red is hurt. I will make you suffer.”

“Oh, youngling, don’t worry. Barricade will make her scream and cry before she tells him everything she knows. Then again, maybe I should just call Soundwave. He could just rip the information right out of that pretty little processor,” Prowl said, nuzzling Inferno. “Would you like that, little one? Watching Soundwave rip it from her and then take her personality apart a piece at a time until there is nothing left?”

“And then sell her to a brothel,” Inferno offered, his optics hard in a way no youngling’s should ever be.

“Perhaps, or let Soundwave reformat her into one of his spies. He’s always looking for sparks, and I so rarely let him have them, but I think he would love to have this one.” 

Inferno hummed, smiling at the thought. 

“No, no. Please don’t do this. I didn’t do anything. I swear. I was looking for Red in the market. He ran off. He said he knew you had lied to him about his brothers and want to find him. And I was afraid I w-was afraid I was going to get in trouble for losing him,” Flamewar babled. 

“I have a hard time believing that when you were in the market blowing credits. Where did you get them from?” Barricade asked, picking up an energon whip. 

“I got them from Red Alert. H-he said he found them,” the femme said, optics tracking Barricade as he crossed the room and took up position behind her. 

“Red’s not a thief,” Inferno whispered, “You are lying.”

“I think the mechling has it right, try again,” Barricade said, snapping the whip. It flicked across her spinal strut, leaving a black trail in its wake. Flamewar screamed high and loud. 

“I’m not lying,” she whimpered. “I was looking for him.” 

“Lies,” Barricade barked, flicking the whip across her shoulder plating. It dipped between the seams, hitting protoform. 

Flamewar cried out, her spinal strut arching. “He made me. He said he would kill me if he didn’t give him what he wanted.”

“Whom?” Barricade asked, letting the whip flich out lazily, leaving another black streak across her back.

“S-S-Swindle. H-he said if I didn't bring Red Alert to him he would offline me,” Flamewar whimpered. 

Barricade raised a browplate, “Are you going to stop lying to me?”

“It was Swindle, I swear.” 

“It’s not his style. Try again,” Barricade purred.

“H-he...said it was for his boss. H-he said that---”

Barricade laughed, “Swindle has no boss, you little fool.” He turned his attention to Prowl. “I think we should call in Soundwave, the little idiot wouldn’t know what the truth was if it knocked her upside the helm.” 

“No. No. Please,” she jerked at the restraints until she dislocated one of her arms. “Please don’t.” 

“He’s already on his way,” Prowl smiled.

“I’ll talk. It was Vortex. He said he wanted the brat and h-he gave me enough creds to leave the city.”

“Better,” Barricade said, “What does he want with Red? Where is he hiding?”

"I-I don't know. It's not like we sat, drank energon and gossiped," she spat, "He said he wanted his property back. He paid me well, so I--I delivered it to the ruins outside of the city. He was in the catacombs. But that doesn’t mean he is still there.” 

There was a knock on the door, before it opened and Soundwave stepped into the room. "Prowl: finished?" 

“You may have her, please verify her story before you wipe her,” Prowl said, his tone as emotionless as the telepaths.

“Don’t leave me with him. Please don’t. I told you what you wanted to know,” Flamewar cried out.

“You are just getting what you deserve,” Inferno said, glowering at her. “You deserve worse, actually. You should be made to suffer for what you did. Suffer forever. Did Red beg you? I bet he did, you sparkless monster.” 

“You stupid guttersnipe, he wasn’t worth my time. He’s like you, just a piece of trash that should have stayed where you belong,” Flamewar said, her optics narrowed as they settled on Inferno. “You are nothing but a slumbot, and that is all you will ever be.”

“What did you call our brother?” Sideswipe screamed from behind Soundwave. He tried to push past the large mech to get into the room. “I’m going to kill you.”

“Twins: stand down. Femme: will be made to suffer.”

“No fragging way,” Sunstreaker growled, squeezing past Soundwave and lunging at Flamewar. He hit her hard enough to rip her dislocated arm completely from it’s socket. Wires sparked as they hung from the arms mooring. The scream that escaped Flamewar’s vocalizer was high and shrill.

Sunstreaker was ripping into her chest plating before Prowl pulled him off, flinging the yellow twin across the room. He hit the wall hard, paint flaking off as he slid down. A moment later he was bounding forward again, a growl on his lip plates as Prowl fended Sunstreaker off, before slamming him into the floor, and keeping him pinned there.

Inferno watched them fight, backing away with wide optics until Soundwave finally pushed him out the the room, shutting the door in Inferno and Sideswipe’s faceplates.

Sunstreaker struggled in Prowl’s grip, howling like a wild thing. Prowl grimaced as he reached out, and into Sunstreaker’s processor. He found the motor function center of the mech’s processor and flipped the proverbial switch, letting go of the gold mech as soon as he fell limp against the floor. “I will not tolerate such behavior in my house. You are not a mechanimal.”

He turned his attention back to Soundwave, “If you will.”

Soundwave nodded, pulling out a cassette frame he crossed the room, looming over Flamewar. She tried to cringe away, a scream left her vocalizer as Soundwave pried open her chest plating. It was over in a moment, the spark casing settled into the cassette, and finally tucked away into Soundwave’s chest plating.

Prowl’s browplating rose, but he did not comment, releasing his hold on Sunstreaker’s processor.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

Red Alert was not entirely sure how long he had been Vortex’s prisoner. The medic had taken his chronometer off-line in the first visit and never turned it back on. It was just one of many systems he could not access, and their absence left him on edge, jittery. Vortex pushed him through the hallway back towards the medbay, the chain attached to Red Alert’s collar jingled between them.

“I wasn’t expecting you this early,” Pharma said as he laid out the instruments he would need.

Red Alert’s optics fell on a syringe with a needle as long as his forearm, he would have turned around then had Vortex not put a heavy hand on his shoulder and steered him towards the nearest berth. He refused to move but even that was negated as Vortex mech-handled him onto the berth, locking his hands in the manacles above the berth with an ease of long practice. Red Alert was still struggling as the Rotarymech strapped his chest down.

Pharma made a tutting sound as he transformed the berth, and helped Vortex maneuver Red’s legs into the stirrups. “I would think all of this commotion would have became tiring after the first time,” Pharma said, rolling his optics as the little mech.

“You’re going to hurt me,” Red Alert bit out, struggling against the bonds.

“I am,” Pharma agreed, “Just a sample of the fluid in your gestation tank,” Pharma said, already reaching for the syringe as Vortex opened up Red Alert’s interface panel.

Red Alert screamed, high and loud, making Pharma wince. He put the syringe down, and reached for a sedative instead, his touch less than gentle as he pushed into the energon line.

The world spun, but did not fade away. He was all too aware of Pharma moving away, and the pain that bloomed between his legs moments later. He heard the two mechs talking above him, but the words made no sense to his processor.

He was used to it at least, the pain was small compared to the pain Vortex usually caused. Still it caused pleasure to bloom through his chassis in a most unwanted way. There was alway something false about this kind of pleasure. A moan escaped his vocalizer.

Vortex moved into his frame of vision, the mech’s visor flaring brightly before the world went mercifully dark. he floated in the darkness for what felt like an eternity before coming back to himself. Vortex carried Red Alert back towards his rooms, holding him close.

“Aw, finally online. Good,” Vortex purred, “Pharma had good news at least, pet. Your systems should be ready for spark implantation soon.” Vortex hummed, his free hand moving across Red Alert’s chest plating. “You should be pleased, it is a great honor.” 

Red Alert vented loudly, “So you keep saying, my lord.” He squirmed in Vortex’s grasp. “H-how soon?” His spark hammered in his chest at that too being taken away.

“Not for a while, little one. I must leave for Kaon, I have business there with Swin’. When I return.” 

“You aren’t taking me with you?” Red asked, hope in his voice.

“I am not that foolish. I know you would run at the first opportunity. That will change soon enough. Once we are sparkbonded you will never leave me. You will not want to,” Vortex said, smirking.

Red Alert barely held back the snort of disbelief that wanted to burst from his vocalizer. He would always try to escape this mech. No matter what. “If you say so,” he said, hiding his face against Vortex’s chest plating. “What’ll you do with me while you’re gone? Chain me to a wall?”

Vortex laughed, “You sound as though I make you sleep on the floor and eat from a dish. I could if I wanted to,” he said, pausing for dramatic effect. “No, little one, you’ll be confined to my rooms, and Pharma will come and make sure you are fueling, you’ll behave for him. I’ll be back before you know it.”

Red Alert nodded, looking away. He didn’t want the Rotarymech to ever come back. The very thought of having to share his spark with this mech left him terrified and ready to flee. Not for the first time he wished he was back with Knock Out and Breakdown. He could use a hug. One that did not involve Vortex or groping in any form.

Vortex’s engine revved loudly. “Frag, you’re hot. It will be better when I do not have to leave you behind,” the mech mused. His hands moved insistently over Red Alert’s frame, making him whine. He pushed Red Alert into the berth once they reached the room. The smaller mech started to struggle, crying out when his panel was pushed open.

“No, no, no,” Red Alert beat a small hand against Vortex’s tougher armor. “Don’t do this. Please.” There was barely any lubrication in the tight channel, he felt altogether too tight and dry to take someone of Vortex’s size. It hurt. The spike pushed in, rubbing against the delicate platelets and mesh of Red Alert’s valve. By some miracle the lining did not tear, but soon the slide was aided by the energon that leaked from the abrasions. It still hurt, but it was at least bearable. The pleasure that coursed through his system was too sharp and biting. It sent him crashing into overload before he knew what he was about, washing him in darkness for too long before he came again, groggily.

Vortex was latched onto his neck cording, feeding by the time he came back to himself. The wound throbbed, and each pull on his energon line left him whimpering. Charge slowly built up in his system again, crackling along his plating. He wished that the mech would just get it over with, drain him dry. At least it would end.

He moaned softly as the pain from the bite sent another overload tripping though his system, finally knocking him offline.

Red woke to Vortex pushing something into his valve. He whimpered and squirmed, trying to get away. He panted and whined, his vents opening as far as they could go as the toy was pushed in, spreading him wide all over again. Over sensitive nodes spark, sending his systems humming.

“Scream for me,” Vortex purred against his audial, and he did, the sound rolling out of his vocalizer. High pitched and ringing.

Vortex worked it in until it was flush with the rim, locked it in place, and snapped the panel shut. He smoothed a claw against it, still purring. “You’ll be wet and ready for me next time, won’t you love?”

Red Alert wiggled, keening as he tried to find some relief. “Please don’t leave me like this.” His valve spasmed and clenched, rolling against the invader. 

“Oh, love, it’ll only make you miss me more,” Vortex laughed, placing Red Alert on the berth, and moved towards the door to leave. “It is only going to be five solar days,” he smirked before stepping out.

Red Alert curled up, and offlined his optics. It hurt. He made himself tune out the charge and the pleasure building throughout his system. He had to think. Vortex was going to be gone for five solar cycles. It might be enough time for him to get away. He forced himself to vent slowly. He could do this. He had to.

He shook as he forced himself to move off the berth and explore the room. There were no windows and only one door, which he could not open. He had no hacking skills. There was a vent halfway up the wall. If he could get the screen open he could squeeze through easily enough. 

He vented softly and looked about wondering what he could push against the wall to climb onto. He looked under the berth, finding nothing, he moved on the the closet. His vents hitched, but he made himself ignore it, and rummaged through the closet, snorting in disgust as he found Vortex’s stash of toys...and other things he did not even want to contemplate. Finally he found a metal trunk that seemed sturdy enough to hold his weight.

He pulled it to the wall, climbed up on wobbly legs, and pried at the vent. Several energon leaking fingers later he managed to pry it off the wall, and let it drop before pulling himself up into the small space. It was dark and cool inside, the tunnel seemingly stretched out forever.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

Red Alert vented hard as he finally came to the end of the tunnel and the vent at the end. He could see the outside world through the cracks. He could have cried. He pushed against the vent, pushing all of his weight against it, ignoring the way his thin armour began to buckle before the panel finally fell to the ground and Red tumbled after.

He curled up, pain and pleasure washing through him. It was unbearable for a moment, but he made himself work through it and shakily climb to his feet. He had to get away from here and to the nearest tunnel to the citadel. The longer he stayed here the more likely it was that he would be caught.

He stumbled through the ruins, tears streaming down his optics in spite of himself. Fear of being caught nearly overwhelmed him, making him stumble and fall. He looked up, his spark pounding, as he spotted a shape soaring high overhead. At first he thought it was a cyberhawk, but it was much too big, it circled, and the moved closer. Red Alert’s spark felt as though it stalled. It was one of Soundwave’s recordicons. The femme’s name escaped him.

She circled slowly, before finally landing beside Red Alert. She cooed, and chattered at him in binary. Sparkling language. He huddled against her, clinging to the recordicon until he finally spotted a group of mech’s making their way through the ruins. He rose, walking on shaky peds, throwing himself into Breakdown’s arms when the mech was close enough.

“Frag, what’d he do to you?” Knock Out exclaimed, as Breakdown pulled Red Alert up into his arms, carrying him like a bitlet.

“Get him out of here,” Barricade snapped, growling as he directed his force down into the tunnels. “I mean it. Get him back to the citadel.”

Red Alert clung to Breakdown, biting back a sob. “Where’re they going?” 

“To exterminate the trash,” Knock Out shrugged, turning to watch the mechs stream down into the tunnels.

“They can’t though. He’s gone,” Red Alert said duly, falling back in exhaustion against his caretaker. 

“Vortex is gone?” Knockout asked as they moved back towards the city.

“Yeah, he said he had business in Kaon.” Red alert watched Knock Out, knowing the mech was on a private comm with someone. He guessed Barricade. “Where---where is Inferno?”

“Safe at home, where you’ll be soon,” Breakdown rumbled, the noise vibrating through Red Alert’s armour.

Red Alert shook in his arms, silent sobs wracking his frame. He didn’t stop until he was exhausted, and rested limply in Breakdown’s arms. By the time they reached the medbay he was drifting in and out of recharge. It was a relief when he felt a familiar prick in his energon line, and the rush of sedatives through his system.


	6. All's Well

_Part Six:_

Knock Out cursed as he peeled the armour off of Red Alert’s protoform. Breakdown was already in the fabrication room working on making Red Alert a new set of warrior grade armour. It was better than having him in here raging loud enough to stir Red Alert out of the medically induced sleep.

He had done that and worse when Knock Out had hacked into Red Alert’s systems to fix what damaged had been done, and had found the toy locked into Red Alert’s valve. They had not been able to get it out without damaging the lining of the little mech’s valve. The fact that he had started to come out of the sedative, moaning in pleasure rather than pain, had made Knock Out snarl and dive back into Red Alert’s system in search of that particular code. He knew Pharma’s work, and hoped that the mech got what he deserved at Barricade’s hands. 

He carefully restored all of Red’s permissions, and unraveled the coding that Pharma had added. It took him longer than it normally would have, but he checked everything twice. He could hear Breakdown moving around in the other room. He was glad his mate was at least doing something productive instead of breaking lab equipment.

Red whined on the table, looking far too small in his protoform. It made Knock Out want to hug the little mech to his chest and try to protect him from the rest of the world, but he knew well enough that wouldn't be possible.

Knock Out looked down at the pile of armor, and then at the door. He knew the twins and Inferno were waiting right outside, but he did not want to let anyone in until he had Red Alert in new armor. He did not want Red's brother's first glimpse of him to be like this.

Rage built and flowed through his system. He had a very good idea what his adopted bitlet had gone through in his captivity, the only saving grace was that he was not sparked up. He thanked Primus that the youngling was not burdened with that as well.

The crunching noise as the doors were forced open snapped him out of he revelry. “What the frack,” Sunstreaker bellowed from the entryway. “What have you done to my brother?”

Knock Out glared, as he pulled a cooling blanket from under the berth and draped it over Red Alert, hiding his protoform from sight. “Nothing. I’m waiting on his new armor.”

“New armor?” Sideswipe bristled, armour puffing out, “What the frag did that monster do to him?” 

Inferno trailed behind them, his optics going to the pile of armor at the side of the berth. Before Knock Out could stop him he picked up a piece of the thin and fragile armor. He turned it around, showing the glyphs to the twins. “What does that say?”

Sunstreaker’s field flared out like an angry solar flare, before settling around him simmering hot with rage. “It says ‘Vortex. Property of Vortex,’’Sunstreaker growled.

Inferno shook, flipping the armor around his hands clenched around the edges. He let out a little shriek as it crinkled and cracked under his hands. “He---he isn’t property. Why would somemech do this? Why would---that armour is just as bad as having no armor at all. I don’t understand.” 

“The mech’s a monster,” Sideswipe shrugged, moving closer to get a look at Red Alert’s recharging faceplates. His hand shook as he reached out to touch him, ignoring the glare Knock Out threw him. “How else could he hurt Red? He’s still so young. He looks so---so much smaller than in the vids Prowl gave us.”

“When are you going to take him out of stasis?” Sunstreaker asked coming up on the other side. He shot Inferno a dirty look when the mech came to stand beside him.

Inferno took Red’s slack hand in his own. “Not until Breakdown finishes his new armor, right?” 

“Exactly. It would be...detrimental for him to wake like this,” Knock Out said, optics flicking to the door that Breakdown was behind. “He should be finished fabricating it soon.”

Inferno nodded, looking glum. His shoulders fell and he leaned in, nuzzling Red Alert’s hand, which only earned him a growl from Sunstreaker.

“Why are you even here? You are not his kin,” Sunstreaker snapped, bristling and glaring at Inferno.

Inferno did not drop Red Alert’s hand, if anything he held on more tightly. “More so than you. You deserted him. You didn’t even look for him. I kept him safe. He’s mine, I’m his, and there is not anything you can do about it,” the younger mech said, not backing down from Sunstreaker’s glare.

The moment was saved as Breakdown came out with a pile of armor. One browplate rose as he took in the gathering, “Out of the way. We can’t install his armor with you crowding about,” he said, a sour look inching onto his faceplates. “Can’t we just kick them out? None of them have any business near my bitlet. Not now.”

“I already tried that, they broke my door,” Knock Out said pointing at the door in question.

“What do you mean by your ‘bitlet’, he’s none of yours,” Sideswipe growled, his own armour puffing out to match Sunstreaker’s. He bared his fangs, growling at the big blue mech. “He is ours. He is OUR brother.”

Breakdown turned, ignoring the twins as he helped Knock Out begin to prepare Red Alert for his new armor.

“He will be coming home with us when you are done with him. He’s our brother,” Sunstreaker said, so mad he was nearly hopping.

“Pffft...” Breakdown snorted, “You are deluding yourself if you think that. His lordship put him into our care. He is our bitlet. If you think I would give up his care to two such as yourself, you really are delusional.” He said, not stopping his work. They started at Red Alert’s peds and worked their way up, carefully attaching wires and applying nanite gel on the inside of the armour to help it integrate faster. His hands were steady in his work, never letting the twins ruffle his composure.

“I can still see him, can’t I?” Inferno asked, his voice a quavering whisper.

Breakdown paused in his work for a moment, looking to Knock Out, before pausing to look back at the youngling. "Ya know you are always welcome, 'Ferno."

Sunstreaker growled, "How can you let him see Red when we cannot. He is our brother. That isn't fair."

“Life isn’t fair, bitling,” Breakdown said in a dismissive tone as they finally connected the last piece of Red Alert’s armor.

Sunstreaker sputtered, “I am not a bitlet.”

“Then stop acting like one. Red isn’t a toy to be argued over. He’s a mech, and he does not need you acting like this, not after what he has been through,” Breakdown said gruffly.

Knock Out huffed, as the last piece of armour clicked into place, and began to bring Red Alert out of stasis. His systems hummed softly, as they cycled through the reboot, and his system came back online. Knock Out plugged in, sending waves of comfort through the medical interface, and checking for errors. By some miracle of Primus, none came up, and Knockout vented in relief.

Red Alert’s optics powered on, they cycled closed and then opened again as they finally gained some focus and made sense of the sight before him. He turned his head, catching sight of the red and gold mechs, and let out a startled yip, nearly climbing up Knock Out’s person in some ill-advised attempt to burrow under his guardian’s armor.

“Don't let them eat me,” he keened, clinging to Knock Out as if his very spark depended on it. “Please don’t let them eat me.” His keening rose in pitch, until it was audial shattering.

“Shhhh...” Breakdown whispered as he moved around the berth and untangled his mate from the adopted youngling. Red Alert whimpered, clinging to Breakdown just as desperately. “No one is gonna hurt you, Sprocket. I promise.”

The Twins look on, both floored by Red Alert’s outburst. They both watched with wide optics, their vocalizers frozen.

Red Alert whimpered, binary chirps escaping his vocalizer, “I don’t wanna offline like that.” 

“Shhhhhhhh...’s’okay, Bitlet.” Breakdown said, rocking him like he would a sparkling, until Red finally quieted.

“Don’t you recognize us?” Sunstreaker’s voice warbled, “We are your brothers. We would never hurt you. We love you.” 

“You lie. My brothers’re dead. Liars,” Red Alert said, his field bristled around him. “And **IF** you are my brothers that means you deserted me, and left me for dead on the streets.” He quivered, optics flashing in sudden anger.

“It wasn’t like that, Red. He said you were offlined. We never found any signs otherwise,” Sunstreaker whispered, looking devastated.

“Don’t be like that, Red. Please,” Sideswipe whined. “Please, let us make it up to you. Let us try to. Anything.” 

“You should give’em a chance, Red,” Inferno said finally speaking up. He moved from ped to ped nervously, waiting for an explosion.

Red Alert did not disappoint. His vocalizer spat static for a moment, “Leave me alone---and---and go back to that femme. You love her. I know you do. Just leave me alone.”

“I don’t love Flareup. I never have. It’s only been you. It’s always been you. Please don’t be like this, you’re breaking my spark,” Inferno whispered, vocaliser spitting static.

Red Alert keened, “Stop it, stop it. You don’t want me. I’m ruined. He ruined me.”

“Runt,” Breakdown respired, pulling the little mech close. “You are not. Shhh..” The crying grew in volume, into full fledged hysteria.

“It’s true though. I’m dirty. H-h-he took everything. You should’ve left me there, because that is all I deserve,” Red hiccupped and sobbed, the words coming out in a rush.

Breakdown and Knock Out exchanged a glance, both caught between concern and rage at what had been done to their bitlet. “Oh, sweetspark. You are not. He hurt you, but that isn’t your fault.”

“If I had been better he never would have caught me. I’m weak. Gutter trash. I know I am. That wouldn’t have happened to me otherwise. Primus must hate me,” Red Alert whispered.

Knock Out huffed, “Stop right there. Stop it. You are a youngling. It does not matter how good you are---and you are good, sweetling---you would not have been able to fight off that monster. Frag, I wouldn’t have been able to fight that mech off.”

“Not many mechs would have been able to, Runt. He’s old and he’s strong,” Breakdown murmured, rubbing Red Alert’s back strut. “It is no failing of your own. What is important is you survived. You’re so strong, and we are so proud out you for holding out,” the big, blue mech vented loudly, “And we are so sorry that we failed you.”

Red vented softly, pointedly ignoring his brothers, “You didn’t fail me. I should never have listened to---to that femme.”

“No, you shouldn’t have, but it’s over and done with now. You are safe here. You brothers are NOT going to eat you---”

“You have no proof of that,” Red Alert said, giving a paranoid glance the Twins way.

“We have plenty of proof,” Breakdown said, looking to where Sunstreaker and Sideswipe were watching them, both mechs trembling. “They are your brothers, and they would not hurt you. Inferno hasn’t spent any time with Flareup. He was the one that discovered you were missing. We all love you. Do you understand what I am saying?”

Red Alert quivered, “Yes,” he finally squeaked.

“You should go for now,” Knock Out said, herding the three mechs out of the medbay. They didn’t protest this time, each looking to be in a daze. He watched them go, Inferno seemingly coming to himself as he ushered the two elder mechs away, seemingly back to the rooms they were staying in. They disappeared down a bend in the hallway before Knock Out wandered back to where Red Alert was still clinging to Breakdown’s armor. He looked spent and exhausted, his helm tucked under Breakdown’s chin. His optics barely lit.

“I think...it is time you recharge,” Knock Out said, taking the sight in.

It only awoke fresh panic, “Please, don’t leave me alone,” the whimper that came from Red Alert’s vocalizer nearly broke Knock Out’s spark, and the sparkling clicks that followed only made it worse.

“Shhhh....’course we won’t,” Breakdown answered for them both, already standing up with the small red mech in tow.

“I’ll be there as soon as Ambulon shows up to take over for me,” Knock Out said, watching them go with a little frown of concern.

Red Alert curled up against Breakdown’s chestplates, comforted by the rhythm of the other’s spark thrumming beneath the plating. He hid his faceplates, finally relaxing. But the time they reached their quarters Red was already drifting in and out of recharge, exhaustion finally getting the better of him. Breakdown sat him down on the berth, tucking a cooling blanket around the little mech. He was in recharge with in moments, only stirring when Breakdown curled up beside him, and curled closer.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

When Red Alert finally came out of recharge it was over a megacycle later. He checked his chronometer twice in surprise. A warning flashed across his HUD, pinging him to fuel soon.He supposed that was the only reason he had came out of recharge. He was left feeling drained, but grateful when he spotted the fuel that had been left on the berthside table. He swallowed it down, barely tasting it, before grabbing a second and downing it as well.

He nearly missed the stack of datapads piled neatly on the table. He grabbed the first, halfway expecting to see some dull medical text. Instead it was a note to him. A short note. The sigils were sloppy, but it still made his spark skip a beat.

_**RED,** _

_**MISSED YOU. FOUND THESE FOR YOU. STREETWISE HELPED ME. HOPE THEY CHEER YOU UP. I KNOW YOU LIKE TO READ THINGS.** _

_**GET WELL SOON!  
INFERNO** _

He felt lighter in spirit as he picked up the datapads. He flipped on the first one, reading the title: _The Adventures of Foxfire,_ by Lightbar. He smiled as he took the first datapad, and curled out in the big seat Breakdown always sat in. His feet hung over the edge of the seat if he sat all the way back. He flipped to the first story, _Case 1: The Suspicious Sparkling._ He lost himself in the adventures of Foxfire and his friend Imprint. By the time Breakdown came back to the suite he was already halfway through the fourth book---Case 4: The Maudlin Mech---and was completely enthralled.

He would have kept reading through refueling time if Breakdown had not picked him up off the chair, and tickled him until they were both laughing, the datapad forgotten for a moment. Red Alert squealed and giggled, clinging to Breakdown, carefree for the moment.

Finally, they made it into the little energon dispensary that took up the back half of the suit. Red Alert was surprised to see Knock Out already there bending over the table fiddling with something. “What are you doing?” Red asked, his voice still light.

“Making gelled energon, Runt. What else would I be doing?” the medic smirked.

Red Alert gawked. He had never seen gelled treats like Knock Out was making. They looked better than any of the treat in the shop windows that Red Alert had gawked at as a sparkling. “Can I help, please?” he asked, optics wide.

Knock Out nodded, relieved that his bitlet was acting more like himself and not the broken creature they had taken from Vortex’s fortress. “Come over here,” he said, and showed Red how to inject the filling, and how to roll the squares in crystals, rust bits, or even electrum dust.

Red Alert mischievously stole bits of crystal whenever Knock Out looked away.

“I saw that, bitlet,” Knock Out said, and fished out a container of larger crystal bit, pushing at Red Alert. “Try these, you might like them better.” 

Red Alert squealed, and wasted no time as he popped one smallish shard into his mouth. “Oh. These are wonderful.”

Breakdown shook his head, wiping crystal dust from Red Alert’s faceplace, “You are messier than the littlest bitlet, I swear.”

Red Alert just giggled as Breakdown picked him up, and deposited him in the counter top. The blue mech stole one of the crystals from Red's container and popped it into his mouth, offering Red Alert one as well.

Knock Out rolled his optics, “You two are going to fill up your tanks, and you do know I’m going to end up eating all of these.

“Can’t I save a few for Inferno? To thank him for the datapads?” Red Alert wheedled. “Please.”

“You like them then?” Knock Out asked, browplate rising as Breakdown snorted.

“Considering I had ta scoop him out of the chair, yeah I think it’s a winner this time,” Breakdown said, giving red a wink. “Pretty nice of Inferno, don’t you think?”

“It was,” Red Alert beamed, “I love Foxfire, he’s so clever, and amazing. Imprint’s adorable and funny. I made it all the way to book four. I’m nearly done with that one. It was a really thoughtful gift. I think...I might have been too hard on him. He tried to find me.”

“He did,” Knock Out agreed.

Red Alert nodded, looking down at his legs as he kicked them. “I still love him, and I said such mean things.” 

“Oh, Red,” Breakdown leaned in, hugging the small mech to him.

“I just don’t want to think about it. I wish I could erase it all from my memory banks,” he said, suddenly shaking. “H-he did horrible things to me, but you know that.”

Knock Out dropped what he was doing, and wrapped his arms around Red Alert, “Bitlet, I know.”

Red Alert whimpered, holding on tightly to Knock Out, cleansing fluid trickled down his faceplates. “H-he was going to make me carry a sparkling for him. I don’t want to make a sparkling. Ever. Can’t you just take it out of me. I don’t wanna be a carrier. I don’t. N-not for him.”

Knock Out rubbed Red Alert’s backstrut, meeting breakdown’s gaze and frowning in return. “I can’t just shut it off, that isn’t how it works. It’s an integral part of your systems.”

Red Alert whimpered, “I-I don’t w-w-wanna be a breederbot. I d-don’t want it. I don’t wanna give him an heir. I don’t want him to have my s-spark.” 

“I know you don’t, sweetspark. I know,” Knock Out whispered.

Breakdown rumbled beside them. “I won’t let that happen, sprocket. You're here, you are safe...and he didn't get your spark.” 

“He didn’t,” Red Alert said, static creeping into his voice.

“We love you, and we will keep you safe,” Knock Out said, hugging him tightly.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

Sunstreaker puttered through the library. They had been invited by Prowl to stay at the citadel to be close to Red Alert. He clearly needed all of them to help him through this. Sunstreaker’s spark hammered under his chest plates whenever he started to think about it. He wanted to destroy Vortex for what he had done to Red, but he knew it was going to take time and a lot of planning. He was willing to play the long game for his brother. He was willing to do anything for Red Alert and to stay near him...even put up with those other bots. He bristled as he thought about it, armour puffing up aggressively. Red Alert should have come to him and Sides for comfort and protection, not the medic and his large blue shadow.

He finally pulled a random datapad off of the shelving and moved to one of the chairs, settling down to skim through it, knowing he wouldn’t be able to concentrate. It was, however, better than stewing in the rooms they had been given, or worse still...watch Sideswipe chase after the minis. He had long since learned to look the other way when Sideswipe got in one of those moods. That didn’t mean he wanted to stick around and hear it though.

Too much was happening at once. He was half tempted to run home. Perceptor would know what to do. He always did, but it stung his pride to seriously consider doing so. He was a grown mech, not some abused mechling any longer. The thoughts laid heavy on his processor.

It all seemed to flit away as he watched a certain grey mech walk into the library. Sunstreaker’s spark spun faster, leaving him feeling out of control. He never tired of looking at Bluestreak. Some part of him hoped he could turn the mechs head, and get him to leave the life that seemed set for him. Sunstreaker could not fathom it. Had it been him he would have run the other way. From what he could see it appeared as though Prowl contained every part of the little mech’s life. It was a sad waste to his optics. Blue was so full of life, and Prowl seemed to do nothing but suppress it. At least it seemed so to Sunstreaker.

The small Praxian spotted Sunstreaker and slowed his step coming to an awkward stop. His optics widened, and he shuffled from ped to ped. “S-sunstreaker, I didn’t realize you were here.”

“Blue, I’ve wanted to---” Sunstreaker began.

“You shouldn't call me that. Prowl wouldn’t like it,” Bluestreak said backing a step away.

Sunstreaker growled, “Why should that matter. You are your own mech. You can decide what you want to do.” 

“I---you don’t understand,” Bluestreak said, “He can.”

“You are a sentient being. You can---” Sunstreaker said desperately only to be interrupted by Bluestreak’s gasp of denial.

“No. No. You don’t understand. He loves me,” Bluestreak said, with certainty in his voice, ignoring the way Sunstreaker bristled up, “and he needs me. But even if he did not, and he beat and abused me. I would still stay. He takes care of my family. They get everything they need and want. I would think that was something you could understand. The needs of many over the needs of one.”

“I---I don’t understand how you can sacrifice yourself like this. Does your family mean so much that it is at the cost of all of your happiness?” Sunstreaker hissed.

Bluestreak’s optics darted across the library, watching the few bots that had been in there scatter. “Stop it. Just...stop it,” he hissed. “We can never be. Ever. You need to just forget about me.”

Sunstreaker moved faster than Bluestreak could track him, and suddenly they were pressed together, Sunstreaker’s mouth hovered over Bluestreak’s lips for one long moment before claiming them. Bluestreak stiffened, and then pulled away, his hand flashing out and connecting with Sunstreaker’s cheek plates before he knew what he was about.

“Don’t ever do that again,” Bluestreak bit out, shaking as he said it. “I can’t be with you, ever. Do you understand me? Ever.”

Sunstreaker stood there, silently staring. His optics wide with shock. “Blue---”

“Don’t Blue me. Friendship is the only thing I can offer you. So stop...stop pushing me for more. You are only going to get yourself killed...and I really, really don’t want that Sunny,” Bluestreak finished in a rush. “I really like you, and that isn't’ something I ever want to happen to you.” He tilted his head up, looking into the camera that had observed the whole exchange. He knew Prowl was watching. Prowl was always watching. “Don’t press me. This can’t be. I-I’m sure you’ll find someone else. You’re a-a g-good mech. I know you will.”

Sunstreaker just stared, his mouth opening several times. He had not expected rejection. Not like this. It hurt more than he imagined it would. For once he did not know what to say or how to handle the situation. He wasn’t Sideswipe. His twin would have had something smooth to say, something to fix this. He probably would’ve even known exactly what to say to convince Bluestreak of his suite.

“I’m sorry,” Bluestreak said in a quavering voice as he backed away. “I really am.” He dashed away before Sunstreaker could even stop him.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

Inferno shifted about, holding a bowl containing a turbofish. The solvent sloshed back and forth. He tried to walk slowly, but his excitement got the better of him as he stepped into the room where Red Alert was reading. The little red mech did not hear him at first, far too wrapped up in ‘The Adventure’s of Foxfire.’ Red Alert obviously loved his gift. The thought of that made Inferno preen, and the solvent to slosh about all over again.

“Red! I brought you something,” the youngling said with excitement. “I won it at the streetfair. Well, Streetwise helped me win it, but anyway it’s for you.” He grinned and set the bowl on the the table beside Red Alert’s berth. “Do you like it?”

Red Alert put down the datapad and peered down through the metaliglass. “I’ve never seen one of those before. What is it?” He opticed it, half suspiciously as if he was not sure that it wouldn't jump out of the solvent and bite him.

“It’s a turbofish. A pet for you,” Inferno said enthusiastically.

“I’ve never had a pet before,” Red Alert said, peering down at the mechafish. “You’re sure it’s...um...safe?”

“Yeah, I’m sure. They don’t bite, and look at his little whiskers. He’s just so cute. They’re easy to care for too, they eat metal pellets. I’ll bring you some later.”

Red Alert smiled at Inferno’s enthusiasm. It was almost like before he had left. “Wanna read with me? I’m already on Case seven. It’s a really good series.” He leaned in, pressing their helms together.

Inferno purred at the touch, “I dunno, I’m not that far. I’m learning but I’m still---really slow. Some of the glyphs don’t make sense, and I have to look them up or ask someone what it means. It’s hard, Red.”

Red Alert sidled closer. “I know it is, but it gets easier with practice. I---I’d really like to help you.”

Inferno perked up, putting an arm around Red Alert, “You know I’d like that. I really would.”

Red smiled, and pulled Inferno to sit beside him on the berth. “I know. Thank you.” His hand slid down twining their fingers together. He leaned into Inferno and vented deeply. “I---I’m sorry I was so mean to you when they brought me back. I was confused, and I should never said those things to you. I love you,” he said in a tiny voice.

He watched the turbofish swim about it’s little bowl. He couldn’t imagine it was happy in there, but maybe he could convince Breakdown to get him a larger tank. He smiled at the thought, as he flopped over on the berth. “Hold me? Please.” He asked, optics settling on Inferno. His spark seemed to swell immeasurably within his chestplates every time he looked at that bot. He had thought for the longest time that he would never see him again.

Inferno didn’t answer, just scooted closer pulling Red’s back against his chest. The purr of Inferno’s motor was comforting. It reminded Red of the nights they had curled together for warmth when they were still running the streets together. It was not long before he drifted into recharge.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

Red Alert came online, there was warmth against his backplates and it took a long moment for him to realize that he was not back THERE with Vortex, that is was, in fact, Inferno. His own temperature had been soaring, his fans kicked on. He knew that was what had woke him. He took a long klik to figure out how he felt about that. He did not like thinking that Vortex controlled him in this. He was still scared, but he didn’t force his panel to shut once it snapped open. Lubricant slowly dribbled out as his valve clenched on nothing. Once he made up his mind it was easy to turn in Inferno’s arms.

He nuzzled into Inferno’s neck, leaving trails of kisses and nips until Inferno’s optics brightened, looking confused. “Red?”

Red’s vent’s stuttered, as he pushed Inferno on his back, rubbing himself against the larger mech. “Do you want me, ‘Ferno?”

Inferno looked up at Red Alert in shock as the smaller mech straddled his chassis, grinding their interface panels together. “I want you.” A tiny grin spread across his lips as he leaned down, catching Inferno’s lips against his own. A manic giggle welled up in his chest as he heard Inferno’s fans kick on loudly.

Inferno sputtered when Red leaned up, “Red, you don’t have to do this. I know---”

Red put a digit on Inferno’s lips. “No, I don’t have to. But I WANT to. He can’t control me...and I love you.”

“I love you, too,” Inferno whimpered when Red Alert ground their interface panels together again, leaving a wet trail against the panel. He gasped when his own panel snapped open, “Reeed.”

“It’ll be fine. I know what I’m doing,” Red said, confident in this if nothing else. He wiggled down until he was seated between Inferno’s legs. He traced his fingers along the spike housing, humming as he traced one finger against the seal, and then leaned down glossa tracing the edge. His optics flicked to Inferno’s faceplates, “I can stop if you want me to.”

Inferno’s engines stuttered loudly, “Red, please.”

Red Alert hummed again against the seal, the vibration and the touch making the spike pressurize and push through the softened seal. Red Alert traced a finger across the ridges and platelets, admiring the red stripes that traveled up the side, “You are beautiful,” he said, not even sure if Inferno heard him. THe other mech’s optics were closed tightly, and he whimpered with each touch.

Red Alert smiled, nuzzling the blunt tip, glossa flicking over it, and finally swallowing it down until the tip hit the back of his intake and he swallowed it down. He bobbed his head, humming against the spike, audials perked as he listened to Inferno’s reaction. He made the most lovely sounds, gasping and crying out. It did not take long for the first overload to ripple through Inferno. Transfluid hit the back of his throat and his swallowed it down easily, it held none of the bitter taste that Vortex had. It tasted clean and a little sweet. He finally pulled away, licking his lipplates and sitting back on his haunches.

Inferno looked up at him in a daze, optics unfocused. He looked just about perfect to Red Alert. The red mech smiled, and sat there for a klik admiring his work. He finally crawled back up curling next to Inferno as the other mech recovered. They would need to work on his endurance, but Red Alert was sure that would come with time. “‘Ferno?” 

Inferno shivered, “H-how...did you---”

“Shush,” Red Alert laughed, “Do you want more?” 

“More?” Inferno asked, processor still clearly scrambled from the overload. 

“Yes, more. I want you inside me, and I want to see your spark. I want everything,” Red said, smiling, his hand creeped down, fondling Inferno’s spike until it began to pressurize again.

“E-e-everything?” Inferno’s engines stuttered again.

“Yes. Everything,” Red Alert said firmly. “You are my mech. I love you, and I want to please you,” he laughed at the dumbfounded look on Inferno’s faceplates.

“But--um---could I do t-that thing you did to me?” Inferno finally managed to get out. He tried to sit up, but Red Alert pushed him back down gently.

“I have a better idea,” the small mech said cagily. He climbed up Inferno’s chassis, sitting on his chest and finally sliding down, legs bracketing Inferno’s head. “How about you get me ready for your spike.” He looked down at Inferno, and saw the mech’s browplates raise.

“Oh,” Inferno finally said, the noise coming out more as a squeak. His hands shook as they reached out for Red Alert’s thighs and to pull him close. “What---do---”

“What would you want me to do to you?” Red alert said, gasping as Inferno’s glossa flicked out along the rim, glossing over the exterior nodes, and past the protective folds of his valve. It was awkward, but it felt wonderful all the same. The callipers in his valve rolled and clenched on empty air until finally the glossa pushed inside. Inferno grew bolder by the klik, his movements less hesitant.

Red Alert let his head fall back, moaning as the charge slowly built and lubricant began to run down the walls of his valve. He panted, and finally tried to pull away, but Inferno held him fast. Red whined, pushed again. “I’m ready, ‘ferno.”

“But you taste good,” Inferno moaned against him, glossa flicking out catching the lubricant as it dripped out.

“Yes, but..just...let me show you something else,” Red Alert said finally wiggling free. He smiled at the way Inferno whimpered and begged him to come back. He didn’t let it deter him, he had a goal in mind. His valve clenched eagerly, fluttering when the head of Inferno’s spike hit the rim. He sat back, gasping as he impaled himself on the spike, rocking back until it was fully seated. Perfect. It hit his ceiling node, but not painfully so, stretching him, but not to the point of pain. Just on the very edge of it. He circled his hips experimentally, listening to Inferno cry out, and finally rocked forward until only the tip was inside before sliding back down and letting gravity take it’s course. Perfect. He kept the slow rhythm, a long slide until Inferno was squirming beneath him, static sputtering from his vocalizer. He lasted far longer than Red expected that he would the first time around.

Out of reflex Inferno grabbed Red’s hips, bucking up into him as the overload finally hit, a scream ripped through his vocalizer, cutting to static. Transfluid burst through Red Alert’s valve, battering against the ceiling node until he was gasping. Overload finally tripped through him, pleasure racing through his frame. He caught himself against Inferno’s chest as the spasms rocked through his valve.

He laughed when he realized that Inferno was knocked offline. The laughter died in his throat as the door opened and Breakdown came rushing in, panic written over his faceplates.

“Are you---frag it, Red. What are you doing?” Breakdown said, seemingly frozen in the doorway. “I mean, I KNOW what you are doing, but what the frack are you doing?”

Red Alert wiggled, biting back a moan as the spike inside him started to repressurise. He looked down, Inferno was still out, and he wasn’t going to move, not with Breakdown staring him down.

“Well? I thought we spoke of this,” Breakdown said. “Red.”

“I---I love him, and I’m not---I’m not going to let HIM control what I do. Please don’t make me feel bad for this. Please.”

Breakdown frowned, moving from ped to ped in agitation. “Fine. We will talk about this later,” he shook his head, moving out of the room faster than he normally would have, leaving a stunned Red Alert behind. Red Alert sagged against Inferno, feeling relieved and dreading the conversation to come all the same.

He tucked that dread away as he felt Inferno finally start to stir beneath him. “Hello, beautiful,” Red Alert grinned, planting a chaste kiss on the other mech’s lips.

“Red, Primus, that was...that was amazing,” He said, wiggling under Red Alert, rolling his hips up unintentionally. “I want---i want---could we do that again?” he moaned.

Red Alert laughed, “As many times as you want, sweetspark.”

OoOoOoOoOoOo

A joor later Red Alert lay curled against an offline Inferno. Inferno had fall into recharge some breems earlier, completely exhausted. He felt warm and sated, but more importantly he felt safe. He knew he would need to leave Inferno’s side and find Breakdown, eventually, but he was content to bask in the afterglow. He drifted between recharge and awareness, for a time before finally crawling off the berth and heading towards the washrack. He did not want to face his adoptive creators with his frame still covered with paint-streaks and transfluid. He stood under the hot solvent for a long time, carefully removing all traces of his coupling with Inferno, and finally polished himself to a high gloss, knowing Knock Out would appreciate that. Finally he stood in front of the mirror, inspecting his reflection and deciding it would do before setting out towards the infirmary. 

He wasn’t entirely sure what to expect.

But. He was not surprised to find Breakdown and Knock Out waiting for him. “You wanted to---to talk to me?” Red Alert could not help the quaver in his voice.

“I thought we had spoke of this, bitlet. I thought you understood that you should wait. Your frame is far too young to...to do that,” Breakdown said, clearly trying to keep his temper in reign. “He didn’t force you to do that, did he?” He asked, his voice raising in tenor and pitch until it was more a growl than a vocalization. “I will kill him if he did.” 

“Sush, let him speak,” Knock Out said, crossing the space to take Red Alert in his arms. “Are you well bitlet?” 

“I’m fine. It was my choice. I---it’s kind of too late to be worrying about it being too early. Vortex took that away from me, and I love Inferno. I don’t want my only memories of interfacing to-to be with HIM,” Red shrugged, looking unrepentant.

“Oh, bitlet,” Knock Out vented, not sure what to even say. “We are just worried for you. We love you.” 

“I love you too, but...I also love Inferno, and I want to be with him. You can’t tell me that you wouldn't do the same thing if it was Breakdown. I want to be loved like that,” Red alert whispered.

“I know you do, we are just...concerned about your welfare,” Knock Out said, trying to be diplomatic.

“You don’t need to be. Inferno loves me. He’s always taken care of me. He always will. It doesn’t make me love you two any less, you just have to realize I need him as much as I need you.” 

“Ah, Runt,” Breakdown sighed, putting his arms around the both of them. “Just be careful.” Breakdown’s spark clenched behind his chestplates. He wanted to do nothing more than hunt Vortex down and obliterate the mech. His optics narrowed, but he did not voice the thought. Not yet anyway. he would bide his time. He would not allow that monster to live. Not long anyways. “We just don’t want ya to be hurt again.” 

“Inferno would never do that. He’s a good spark. I promise,” Red said looking up at Breakdown.

“I know, but that doesn’t make it any easier, Runt.” Breakdown finally said, holding on tightly to his mate and his bitlet. “I just...I just can’t hardly stand it knowin’ that monster stole what little sparklinghood you had left, and your innocence too. I just---just feel like breakin’ somethin’.” 

“So do I,” Red Alert mumbled. “It’ll happen when it happens, though. I can’t just wait for him to fall into my lap, and I’m not gonna waste my life on waitin’ for that ta happen.”

‘’M not askin’ ya to. I just...worry for you,” Breakdown said finally letting go.

“We both do,” Knock Out added. What else was there to say.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

A solar cycle later Red Alert was striding towards the suite that Sunstreaker and Sideswipe were staying in, Inferno followed close behind looking as nervous as Red Alert felt.

“They hate me. Are you sure you want me to come along?” Inferno said, a frown plastered on his face.

“Positive. I...need ya to---to protect me. They might try ta eat me,” Red Alert said, not entirely convinced that they wouldn't even with Inferno present.

“Pretty sure they wouldn’t do that. They love ya, Red. You didn’t see how upset they were when they found out you were missin’.”

“Yeah, I wasn’t. I---ugh. Let’s just get this over with,” Red Alert said, barreling on through the hallway. He hurried over to the door, pinging for entry. He would have turned and ran away had Inferno not finally came up behind him and held him in place.

He squeaked when the door slid open, revealing Sunstreaker on the other side. “Red, we---are you okay?” He asked, completely ignoring Inferno’s presence. 

“I’m fine. I---ah---justthoughweshouldtalk,” the small, red mech finally spit out.

“We need to,” Sideswipe said from behind Sunstreaker. “But he doesn’t need to be there. He’s not part of this,” he said, glaring at Inferno.”

Red Alert stiffened, “I’m not goin’ anywhere without ‘Ferno. So...stop it. If you want to really talk.”

Sunstreaker’s optics widened, as he realized Red was going to turn to leave, “Don’t go. Sides doesn’t mean anything by it. Just come in. Please.”

Red Alert stopped mid-stride, “Fine.” He grabbed Inferno’s hand holding on tightly as he pulled the other mechling into the room.

Sunstreaker and Sideswipe exchanged glances. Neither were entirely sure how to handle this mech. He was not the little sparkling they had known and loved. They stood there staring at each other awkwardly for several kliks before Sunstreaker finally broke the silence, hugging Red Alert suddenly, making the small mech startle and squeak.

“I should never have believed what that monster said,” Sunstreaker said, holding onto Red Alert tightly. “I’m so sorry, I failed you. I failed you. I’m so sorry,” Sunstreaker’s vents hiccupped. “I---I should have looked for you. I should have done so many things and I failed you instead.”

Red Alert froze in Sunstreaker’s grip, listening to his brother break down. He had no idea what to do. So he finally hugged Sunstreaker back, hands petting the larger mech’s back. “You couldn't know. He---he told me you died as well. I didn’t know what else to think. I should have tried to find you. I just---It was scary out there. If Inferno had not found me...I probably would not have survived.”

Red Alert pushed himself away from his brother, looking him in the face. “I---I don’t know how to even fix this. I can’t go back with you. I’m not ready for that. I’m not sure I would ever be.” His spark clenched at the downfallen look on both of his brother’s faceplates. “Don’t look like that. I---I want you in my life I just need stability. Knock Out and Breakdown...well I know they’d give me that. They are good mechs, and they love me. Ya gotta understand this is for the best.” 

“We could give you a stable life,” Sideswipe burst out, looking both mad and more that a little hurt. 

Red Alert vented hard, taking a step back and feeling relieved as he felt Inferno’s hands on his shoulder pauldrons, giving him silent support. “Maybe. I don’t know. I can’t be what you want me to be. I’ve changed, you’ve changed. And...and I need the time to get to know you again.” 

“How can you say that. You are our brother. We were meant to be a trine,” Sideswipe bit out, his gaze fastening on Inferno. “This is your fault.”

“It isn’t anyone’s fault,” Red Alert snapped back, his own armor puffing out with the implied threat. “I just...can’t be that.”

“Stop it,” Inferno finally snapped, “He’s been through enough, he doesn’t need you to be tugging him this way and that.”

Sideswipe opened his mouth to argue, but the words died on his lips with the look that Sunstreaker sent him. “He has, we’re...we’re sorry,” he finally said.

Inferno nodded, “Red clearly still wants you in his life. There’s nothing stoppin’ you from visiting him here or Red from going to visit you. It will work out. We all want him to be happy, don’t we?”

“More than anything,” Sunstreaker said, his armour quivering with pent up emotion.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

Epilogue...

Vortex returned to Praxus to find a smoldering ruin. His soldiers followed him down into the depths of the fortress, but there was little to be salvaged. Bodies littered the hallway as he waded in, looking for Red Alert and his pet medic, but there was little sign of either mech. There were no survivors either. The mechs had been drained of energon, their necks ripped out, and their greyed frames dropped where they had died.

Vortex cursed, not so much for the lives lost but for the need to find and hire more loyal guards, and worse still the need to move to one of his other hidey holes. It was a bother, but less so than the loss of Red Alert. That sent him into a rage, he screamed, the noise echoing through the empty hall. He beat his fists against the walls, but it did little good. Eventually the rage drained away leaving a simmering anger in it’s wake. He would exact his revenge on Prowl if it was the last thing he did. It was just as much that master vampire’s fault as it was Inferno’s. They took Red Alert, he had little doubt of that.

The rage threatened to swamp his emotion centers once more, but he pushed it away. This was fixable. He would rebuild, and he would have his heir. The ‘how’ was the important thing now. How was he going to make Prowl pay? how was he going to destroy Inferno? How was he going to win Red Alert back? His lips curled into a toothy smile, not unlike a cybershark. He always had loved a challenge.

Vortex set back towards Kaon. He had plans to make, and he knew that his brothers would not fail to lend him aid in this task. He had an army to build. A territory to claim. Most importantly he would get his mate back, willing or not. A smile crossed his faceplates under his mask. He would make Inferno suffer, and suffer long.

This was only a minor setback.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

Notes:

~Wing inspired by: [http://sidian007.deviantart.com/art/Meiji-formers-Kasa-Arcee-290988544?moodonly=1 ](http://sidian007.deviantart.com/art/Meiji-formers-Kasa-Arcee-290988544?moodonly=1%20) http://www.deviantart.com/art/Meiji-formers-Sensu-Elita-One-290987788 

~Red Alert and Inferno inspired by: <http://mucun.deviantart.com/art/Henkei-RedAlert-and-Inferno-121054586>, <http://luanatf.deviantart.com/art/Robocity-World-Sleeping-59713634>, [http://straya.deviantart.com/art/TF-Red-Alert-Portrait-Final-22010436 ](http://straya.deviantart.com/art/TF-Red-Alert-Portrait-Final-22010436%20)  
<http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lzd3exhsgi1qg9hfro1_500.png> NSFW

~The Adventures of Foxfire, by Lightbar. Case 1: The Suspicious Sparkling. Case 2: The Turbofox of Terror. Case 3: The Curious Carosel. Case 4: The Maudlin Mech. Case 5: The Furious Femme. Case 6: The Secret of the Skiff. Case 7: The Mystifying Maze. Case 8: The Starling Seeker. Case 9: The Terrible Truckbot. Case 10: The Reckless Racer. Case 11: The Cruel Carier. Case 12: The Priest in the Pitt. Case 13: The Night Knocker. Case 14: The Gruesome Guardbot. Case 15: The Misguided Medic. Case 16: The Illuminated Lure. Case 17: The Cunning Constructionbot. Case 18: The Missing Mechanimals. Case 19: The Shifty Shuttle. Case 20: The Pretend Prime. Thanks to Pheonix for helping me come up with book titles. =D We had a lot of fun with that.

~Much thanks to Pheonix and blkntandogs for Beta reading and generally putting up with my craziness. <3


End file.
